Another Beginning
by LesPaulStyle
Summary: She came to Mahora for another chance at guarding her, that was what Eishun had told her the mission was.  But... She got so much more.
1. Chapter 1

Ohayooooooo peopleeeee~! Wait, just so you know I DON'T speak Japanese...as much as I wish I did. *Sighs* Alrighty. This is my first story on here. I would like very much to hear your opinion on it, grammatical errors, confusing parts, or anything. Wish me luck :D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Negima...oh if I did...the things this pairing would do. *Grins evilly*

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><p><em><em>**Another Beginning**

_**Mahora Academy, 1st Day of School**_

Another year. Another Beginning. Another chance to see _her._

She breathed in.

Out.

* * *

><p>"<em>Setsuna Sakurazaki, under direct orders from I, Eishun Konoe, you are being sent out onto your first mission since your long training has began. Are you ready to receive your task?"<em>

_A jet-black haired girl bowed, head touching the floor mats, as she briefly looked up with eyes burning with determination. A cracked, wooden nodachi lay obediently by her side._

"_Yes, sir. I am ready."_

_The man before her smiled kindly, gesturing with his hands for her to sit up, "Come now, Setsuna-kun. There's no need to be so," he struggled finding the correct word, "-stiff. I was just joking earlier. By tradition, I'm supposed to say the 'under direct orders from me' part. However, you have known me so long, surely there is no need for such formality between us, yes? You've grown to be a daughter to me."_

_Her calm air broken, the once stony expression on her pale face was replaced with a blushing, nervously smiling one. "Of course, E-Eishun-sama."_

_Eishun sighed good naturedly, knowing very well this would be the best he could get from the girl._

_For now, he added mentally._

"_Setsuna-kun, I'm asking you a very personal favor..." he trailed off slowly, eying the clock hovering behind Setsuna's head._

_The young girl straightened her back considerably, "Anything."_

_Eishun couldn't stop the smile from gracing his face, for this girl's loyalty and commitment were to be admired. He cleared his throat, steepling his long fingers together, "This mission will require peak condition, physically and mentally. Many dangers are to be expected on this long term task. And, because of your..." he eyed the cheap wooden sword near her waist, "lack of a quality sword, I'm passing on my most trusted sword to you, Yunagi."_

_Setsuna's eyes widened, as she snapped her head up to stare up at the chief. "R-r-really?Eishun-sama, I-"_

_"Uh, Uh." Eishun interjected, untying the red knots holding the previous mentioned said sword to his waist, hidden behind his thick robes. He held the blade in his hands, smiling as he traced over the kanji engraved into the hilt. "I'm giving him to you, because I know you'll treat him well," he placed his trusty sword in her small, anxiously awaiting hands. Setsuna smiled, lovingly caressing the blade, but also trembling as she sensed the power laying dormant inside._

"_I will." she reassured, gently laying her gift at her left side with utmost care._

"_Think of it as a 'Thank you' in advance. Setsuna-kun, I'm sending you to Mahora Academy."_

_Setsuna cocked her head curiously, "But sir, I've already educated as high as any teachers here are able to instruct."_

"_Mmm. They stop at a certain level. You're ready to go into the middle school level of Mahora Academy."_

_"Your mission is to protect my daughter. Konoka." Eishun declared, suppressing the urge to smirk as he saw the brief recognition flash across her eyes. Chuckling, he braced himself for the meltdown occurring in,_

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

* * *

><p>Setsuna groaned inwardly, remembering <em>that<em> meltdown in particular. Somehow, the conversation, in her case, had made a turn for the worse, and Eishun had ended up teasing her about some possible _feelings _the blushing swordswoman could be harboring over the years for a certain girl.

Following her early morning mantra, she slowly inhaled, then exhaled, and repeated it as she felt necessary. Even with this done, she could still feel her heart hammering away in her ribcage underneath her uniform.

"What's the matter, Setsuna? Afraid to meet your wittle pwinces?" A voice heavy with mirth appeared near the doorway, filtering into Setsuna's thoughts.

Blushing profusely, Setsuna whipped around angrily from her perch on the sink, "_MANA!"_ she whined, watching unhappily as the dark skinned girl next to her burst into a fit of giggles.

When her laughing fit concluded, Mana placed a comforting hand on the shorter girl's broad shoulders. "Hey, there's no need to be nervous. You two were like this when you were little," Mana crossed her fingers together for emphasis, "Hell, I remember being a little shrine girl and watching you follow the girl around like a lost puppy."

"And my point is, I doubt that things could have changed that much from when you were children. Therefore, you have no need to be nervous...and don't you start with your angst about how she hates you because of what happened in the river. She doesn't feel that way about you." Mana added quickly, playing with one of the black braids that framed her face with a blank stare.

Setsuna blew a puff of air through her lips, her bangs floating up in the faux breeze. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, to the hand resting on her shoulder, and finally resting her gaze on its owner. "Thanks, Mana." Setsuna mumbled, shooting a thankful smile her way.

"Don't mention it." Mana replied, lazily patting the thin cloth of Setsuna's shirt, as she turned to walk out of their shared bathroom. "Besides, this is all going on your tab."

Groaning, Setsuna let her face fall into the mirror, making disapproving sounds until she heard her roommate exit their room with a chuckle.

Tiny droplets of water squeezed out of the tap, _plinking_ into the porcelain bowl and swirling into the drain. The samurai watched every drop, becoming entranced by the repeating _plink _and _plunk _ of each one.

_Oh Kono-chan..._

_It's been so long. I've missed you. The way your laugh tinkled into my ears. The way your smile lit up the world. How we used to play and talk in the backyard together..._

Setsuna cupped her face in her hands, as an incredibly vivid image of herself and Konoka tossing a red ball together. (Actually, the very same ball was in the chest laying underneath her bed, shined regularly of course.)

Something hot and wet rolled down her cheek, dripping into the sink, rolling down the drain. She sniffled, dragging a hand over her eye to rid herself of blurred sight.

"But, you probably wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore. I'm just a lowly servant.." Setsuna murmured sadly, wringing her hands together, as she covered her emotions up with a mask of coolness.

"I should get going." she told herself, watching herself in the mirror still. With a final adjustment of her uniform, she glided over to the door, where Yunagi was faithfully waiting for her, and bounded out of the door and onto a nearby dorm roof.

* * *

><p>Swinging nimbly onto a blackened branch of a tree high above ground, Setsuna analyzed her position carefully. She had a high vantage point, far above any pathways a random student could be taking at this time. Once assured she was hidden, she knitted her fingers through the leaves, making a small hole for her eyes to gaze through.<p>

She mentally made a bet with herself, betting five dollars someone would make a ruckus, and to seal it, shook her own hand. After realizing the silly action she just did, she chuckled, bringing Yunagi closer to her side.

_CLICK. CLACK._

_WHOOOOOSH_

_**BOOM**  
><em>

As she bet earlier, two girls (one with bright red hair in pigtails and the other with free flowing chocolate brown hair) burst out of a dorm door, charging towards the school at quite impressive speeds. Nodding in approval (and also ignoring the butterflies taking flight in her stomach), Setsuna leapt from her perch, absorbing the shock with her knees, as she landed on a rooftop. As soon as her balance adjusted, she dashed forward, keeping a good amount of distant between her and the pair scrambling ahead of her.

Now _these _are the kind of people she could run with.

* * *

><p>Setsuna ran a calloused hand through her hair, sighing in frustration.<p>

She was _already _ failing Eishun.

Carefully, she reaccessed her actions, trying to think of how she could've done things differently. First, she had went to Konoka's dorm, staying out of sight of course. Then, she had given chase when Konoka and her redheaded friend burst out of the room. She had jumped and climbed over the buildings, being careful to stay out of sight and keep the pair within reach. However, she had gotten caught up in... '_a very beautiful bird' _flying. Consequently, she ended up smack dab on the side of a very _soft _brick building.

Setsuna paced back and forth on a rooftop, rubbing her face, red from her lovely little high five with the wall. "What am I kidding?" she growled as she reconsidered her 'A very beautiful bird' thought, sinking down to her knees, eyes searching for even the smallest trace of a red or brown blur. After a few minutes, she temporarily gave up, allowing her mind to wander.

_She's gotten so beautiful..._

Setsuna repeated this over and over again in her head, wishing to have been with her all through the years. The image held within her mind was slightly outdated, but that had earlier been slightly updated with what she had glimpsed earlier.

_Oh...To be able to hold the chocolate haired girl in her arms and...and-_

**"_WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING SHRIMP!"_**

Bolting up, Setsuna peered over the edge of the building, staring in amazement as the girls she had just lost appeared right before her eyes. Only this time, a dark red haired boy laid in a tangled pile of his own limbs on the ground in front of the girls. The orange haired girl seemed to be ranting for no apparent reason, and even though Setsuna could've picked up the exact words, the expression the boy on the ground's face said enough. Suddenly, the red head was shoved aside, being replaced by a girl peering down at the poor boy sweetly.

"Don't you mind her, are you lost little boy? The elementary school is down that way." A cheerful voice rang through the air, and upon immediate recognition, Setsuna felt her jaw slacken as her mouth suddenly grew dry.

Her body froze, a leg propped up on the ledge, as a breeze rustled her hair. Onyx eyes widened, locking on the girl kneeling down to help the boy up.

_She sounds like an angel. An angel straight from heaven...but forced to walk this Earth with us lowly humans._

_..and half humans._

_I wish...I wish she would look at me. Offer me that soft looking hand._

_That kid's...lucky._

_So, so, so very lucky._

Setsuna gulped, another breeze rising up, tussling her raven locks across her face, as well as flaying her bright red tie from her uniform jacket to wave freely in the air.

As if on cue, the girl that was frequently on Setsuna's mind lately turned around, gaze being drawn to a girl standing frozen on the roof of a building behind her.

Their eyes met.

Chocolate boring into Onyx.

_Recognition._

_Shock._

_Longing._

Painful fireworks exploded in Setsuna's chest, as she stared down at the girl, unable to break her gaze filled to the brim Earth shaking longing. Her heart thrummed powerfully in chest, making her feel as if in any second she would pass out, yet she kept her gaze steady.

She was gorgeous, Setsuna decided then and there. Konoka's hair had grown out, brushing her lower back, as it shown with a glossy color similar to melting chocolate pouring out of a bowl. Her eyes sparkled with carefree happiness, a color the exact shade of her hair. She had most definitely grown a few feet taller, Setsuna noted.

The beautiful girl's face, so smooth and radiating health was a pale shade of peach, adorned with a set of thick bright pink lips.

_Kissable lips_, Setsuna thought, before mentally kicking herself.

_She's my charge dammit! I need to get out here, damn teenage hormones!_

Shaking her head of incoming thoughts, Setsuna stole one final glance at Konoka, before holding two fingers close to her mouth and disappearing into nothing more than a blur of moving colors.

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><p>So, how was that? Good? Fantastic? Weird? Makes you wanna puke? Let me know people!<p>

Peace~


	2. Chapter 2

I stayed home today. ^^; So, I managed to write another chapter for you guys. Don't worry, I'll be adding my own little flare to it, because if I did an actual full blooded retelling of Negima there would be too many distractions from Konoka and Setsuna's development. But, never fear!

By the way, have any of you seen a pencil? Wrapped up in tape? Says "Konosetsuuuu~ :3" all over it?

Eh? No? Awwwwwwww. It was such a great pencil..*cries*

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><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 2**

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><p>"You stupid, <em>stupid<em> idiot!"

A perfectly formed fist slammed into the bark of an innocent tree, crumpling into a weak open palmed state, as tiny pieces of bark cracked and fell to her feet. Her knuckles tingled, hot fire kissing between each boney hump, as she sighed in defeat.

"You looked like an idiot, gawking at her like that. She probably thinks you've become a sexual predator." Setsuna lamented aloud, laughing sardonically, as she reclined in the branch she rested on. With a grunt, she lifted her hand to her chest, which was now growing more numb and limp with each second passing. Murmuring a prayer of recover, she sighed as cool waves of _chi_ ebbed into her hand, easing her pain, then pulsing and dieing out with a white glow.

As she rolled her fingers, testing the extent of her recovery, a green spotted leaf glided into her palm. Her sharp eyes carefully traced the darkened color of it's veins, as she traced a thumb over its wax texture. It whispered to her.

_She still cares about you._

Setsuna's thumb stilled, mulling over the leaf's thoughts.

_You saw it in her eyes. She recognized YOU. She wasn't mad, she looked like she wanted to-_

Without a moments hesitation, she tightened her fist, as she moved it away from her. Her onyx eyes glittered with sadness; a small smile found it's way to her face, as she watched green dust slip from her fingers and into the wind.

"Liar."

* * *

><p>"Nice to see you finally showed up. What's wrong with you? You look-"<p>

"Nothing. I'm fine." Setsuna said with a tone finality. Whatever was wrong with her, Mana wouldn't be getting it out from the shorter girl.

Shrugging, Mana cast a glance around the near empty classroom, save for a girl angrily typing away on a computer. She couldn't help but wonder where everyone was, but she knew them all better than to think of that. They were probably struggling to get out of their beds, tossing alarm clocks out of their windows, or chowing down on some breakfast in the cafeteria.

"Still have that fixation with guns you had when we were seven?" Setsuna asked, gaze aimed at the window, as she rested her back next to Mana's on the chalkboard at the back of the room.

Mana pat her hip affectionately, "Of course. I told you I was going to be a mercenary when I grew up. I followed that dream. Which reminds me, I think Konoemon wanted to have a word with you today. He'll send for you when he's ready."

Setsuna nodded slowly, watching an eagle flying in the distance with great admiration.

"So, still have that fixation with Konoka Ojou-sama?"

"_Mana!"_ Setsuna whined for the second time, just loud enough for the mercenary to hear, as her face took on the same shade of a strawberry. Sending her a plea for mercy, Setsuna crossed her arms.

"Well... I suppose I could stop." Mana teased, enjoying how easy it was to tease the swordswoman these days. Sighing in relief, Setsuna tore her gaze upward, as her blush faded.

"I'm going to guess this will be going on my tab?" Setsuna inquired, blankly staring at her seat in the second row.

Mana tapped a finger to her cheek mischievously, "I wasn't even considering that, but since you made the offer, I'll go ahead and tack on another thousand to your debt."

Setsuna huffed angrily, crossing her arms tighter over her small chest.

The pair sat in silence as more girls noisily filtered into the room. Mana whispered names into Setsuna's ear, as each one walked into the room.

"Ayaka Yukihiro. Our class rep." Mana lazily flicked a finger in the blonde's direction, who was taking a seat at the head of the classroom. Onyx eyes flicked up in question, but before she could say anything, the door swung wide open, revealing the red haired girl she had seen this morning.

"Aha! We made it just in time, Konoka!" the girl cheered, throwing a fist in the air, as she strode into the room. Konoka silently walked in behind her, a cheerful smile gracing her lips, as she greeted her old friends by the door.

A chorus of "Hey, looks like we're in class with you knuckle heads again!" and "You won't be getting rid of us that easily!" rose up throughout the room as the girls clamored around each other. Oddly enough, there were some girls carting around steamed trays of food, cheerleaders dancing with their pom-poms, and in the corner of a room was a...robot?

_I wonder if Mana knows who that is, _Setsuna thought, turning to her side, but she saw nothing. Scanning through the mass of loud girls, she finally managed to spot Mana conversing with another childhood friend of theirs, Kaede Nagase. Setsuna smiled fondly at the memory of an angry seven year old Mana chasing after a slightly older Kaede for stealing her plastic gun.

_It seems like those two have grown closer... I'll be sure to ask how they're 'friendship' is coming._

"Oh, everyone, may I have your attention! I just discovered a new breed of monkey, called the 'Asuna Kagurazaka'!" Ayaka stated loudly, gesturing with her hands, as she shot a daring glance at the red head.

Asuna, being the stubborn girl everyone had grew to love, shot through the crowd, "SHUT UP, GOLDY LOCKS!"

They met in front of each other, pushing and shoving the other aside, shouting insults, and pulling hair.

_Wooo. These girls are INSANE..._

"Set-chan...?"

Ohhhhhh _no._

Not _now._

_Why, Kami, WHY? _

_Nevermind! Gather your courage, girl!_

Setsuna glanced upwards, regretting it immediately, as a wave of nervousness swept through the room, and kicked her hard in the knees.

_Chocolate._

_Warm, melting, smooth..._

_Adorable.._

_No, mouthwatering beautiful.._

_Oh Kami, have mercy..._

"Its been such a long time. Your hair's gotten so long too..." Konoka whispered happily, clutching a hand to her chest.

_You are a warrior, Setsuna!_

_Don't you succumb to first day jitters- Oh God, I'm shaking like a lamb..._

"I-I saw you this morning...on top of that building. Isn't it a coincidence that we ended up in the same class?" Konoka said, nervously twirling her ribbon, as a light tinge of pink colored her cheek.

Setsuna mentally tugged at her collar, was it just her, or was it getting hot in here?

_I-I-I need to get out of here!_

"**_Setsuna Sakurazaki, Kaede Nagase, and Mana Tatsumiya please report to the Dean's Office."_**

_Oh thank the Gods above..._

"P-Pardon me, m'lady." Setsuna murmured huskily, praying Konoka wouldn't hear her stutter, let alone the sudden drop in her voice pitch. Before the girl before her could react, Setsuna brushed past, impatiently waiting for her two childhood friends in the hall.

* * *

><p>"Hey, why aren't <em>you <em>trying to talk to _her_? You just stood there." Mana asked, emphasizing with a poke to the shorter girl's ponytail.

The hall was empty, spare the three making their way to the headmaster's office. You could practically _hear _the poke coming...and the many about to occur.

Setsuna said nothing, pursing her lips together, as her trademark blush spiked her cheeks. Without realizing it, she had been walking between the two taller girls. Quite a _dangerous _position indeed.

"Mana's right, Setsuna-dono. You weren't nervous were _you, _de gozaru?" Kaede chimed in, also placing a well timed poke to Setsuna's left cheek. Sending a challenging look to the other taller girl, Mana jabbed a boney finger to Setsuna's temple.

"Oww- What the heck are you guys- STOP IT!" Setsuna protested, as fingers were jabbed all over her face in an angry barrage. Growling, Setsuna dropped down to the floor on one hand, as she kicked her legs in a circle, effectively taking out the taller girls.

"I WAS NERVOUS! HOW COULD I NOT BE WITH SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PERSON SUCH AS KONOKA RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" Setsuna roared as she stood up, sending painful tremors into Kaede and Mana's ears.

However, Setsuna's little victory was short lived.

"Soooooo..." Kaede purred, giving Mana the opportunity to finish the tease.

"She's beautiful now? Don't tell me our emotionless little _Set-Chan _has a crush!" Mana gasped dramatically, pulling herself off the floor, chuckling as Setsuna turned a red, almost bright purple color.

"Stop it! You two are terrible.." Setsuna pouted, stomping off to the Dean's office, followed by two cackling girls.

* * *

><p><em>Knock. Knock.<em>

"_Mana, Kaede, Setsuna-kun. Please come in."_

Kaede swung the door open for all three of them, peering inside with that special way of her's, stepping aside for the other two to walk in as well.

Mana quietly strode into the room, plopping down into a chair in front of Konoemon's desk with a _plop _and a "What do you want, chief?"

Twitching a little at the lack of the honorific, Setsuna bowed, taking a step to the side behind Kaede.

Konoemon chuckled, twirling his soft white beard between his graying hands, "Mana, Kaede, you no longer have a shift tonight. I'll let Setsuna have it. It seems like she needs something to clear her head, based on what I've heard through these thin walls. Also, tell Ku Fei she also no longer has patrol. I forgot to call her as well. You two are dismissed. "

Jumping up, Mana waved over her shoulder to the aged man, Kaede following suite as they filed out.

The door clanged shut behind her, and suddenly the room got a whole lot smaller. Coughing to rid herself of the nervous feelings stirring in her chest, Setsuna stepped forward, bowing once again to the elder.

"Setsuna-kun, there's no need for that formality. Rise. Let me see how you've grown." he murmured, brown eyes twinkling, as he stepped out from behind his desk.

As requested, Setsuna stood up to her full height, Yunagi suddenly feeling very heavy at her side. Konoemon strode over to the quiet girl, taking in the sharp angles of her face, the certain shine of Onyx eyes, the lengthened straight raven black hair. He also noted the power of her stance, the aura around her was...remarkable. It reminded him of a sword with no sheath. A blade out and ready, willing to cut whatever stood in her path.

She oozed power that made his son-in-law's look like a child's!

However, Konoemon was no fool, and he _knew_ that could all be changed with a little teasing.

Konoemon eased a soft hand onto her shoulder, chuckling softly, "My have you grown. Perhaps not is bust or height, but most definitely strength. I sense it within you. Have you considered going on an omai with my dear granddaughter, Konoka?"

"...E-E-EEHHHHHH!"

"_Fu-fu~ _Relax, Setsuna-kun. There will be times for that later. Now back to business, I'm going to offer you a position on the Mahora Guards, if you're willing to accept."

"S-sir, I would be honored, but I have no idea what that is." Setsuna stuttered, managing to shove her blush aside for the time being. Konoemon sidled onto his oak desk, looking Setsuna up and down, just in case his old age had decided to fool him earlier. Once he reassured himself, he coughed into his fist, pointing to the sword at Setsuna's side.

"You should know very well that Yunagi is a sword used in handling demons," Konoemon began slowly.

"Of course, sir."

"And the Shinmeiryu's techniques are specifically targeted on demon exorcism, correct? With that, and the fact that I know you know very well of magic," he paused for breath, "My son-in-law, Eishun, sent you here to guard Konoka from anything, human or demon, because an unimaginable magic dwells within her. However, I would like you to watch over her inner abilities, and make sure they do not get...out of hand shall we say? To answer your earlier question while I'm at it, The Mahora Guards are the top fighters of the school, and have knowledge of mag, demons, and all the other spirits of this world."

"Mana and Kaede are..?"

"Yes, those two are on the team as well. With you, that would bring our total to four. We also have number rankings. Ku fei, also on the team, would be fourth, Kaede third, and Mana second, even though those two often switch rank. I would be honored if you would become number one, and Captain Setsuna Sakurazaki of The Mahora Guards." Konoemon finished, glancing with great care at a photograph on his desk, which was unclear to Setsuna because of a glare from the lights.

"I would be honored." Setsuna replied, not one trace of hesitation in her voice.

Konoka's grandfather clapped his hands together, "Wonderful. Now before I give you your Guard uniform and mask, tell me, when are you going to take my dear Konoka on a date?"

_A deadpanned face._

_A blush._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

"_KONOEMON-SAMA!"_

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><p>"<em><strong>Houston, we have lift off."<strong>_

* * *

><p>Like I said above, I didn't go to school today (I wasn't playing hookie, swear!), so I went ahead and put the second part up.<p>

I hope you enjoyed it. More to come in the next chapter. Let me know what you thought!

Yosh! Now I'm off to make another Konosetsu approved pencil!

Peace~


	3. Chapter 3

Honey, I'm hooooome~ Just kidding :D

Guerilla Warfare, Good question. It's hard to say without giving anything away :3

So, I'll just say: Read and find out. All shall be revealed soon.

And to everyone else, thank you for all the praise. I WILL make this story something special!

* * *

><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 3**

* * *

><p>Unlike an outsider would think, Konoka Konoe, although a bright, carefree girl, did not have days filled with rainbows and unicorns. Well, some days were like that.<p>

But, this day in particular?

_Ohhhhh no_.

Konoka Konoe had always been an early riser, the exact opposite of her dear friend, and roommate, Asuna Kagurazaka.

Asuna was your usual teenage girl, prone to going to bed late, and waking up kicking herself for it the next morning. She was stubborn, perhaps a little hard-headed, but she loved to work (which she did, delivering news papers in the morning for the past few years).

The only unusual thing about this girl, however, were her eyes. One was a soft, ocean blue, and the other was a humble, dull green color, and seemed to match really well with her red, more of a orange shade, hair.

Over time though, those eyes became less and less shocking, and Konoka found herself barely paying attention to them.

Konoka was just a pinch jealous of Asuna. Her eyes, unlike Asuna's, were the same color, a deep, melting pool of chocolate brown. Don't get her wrong though, she loved herself, but there was something about those mismatched eyes that _popped._

Back to this_ magical_ day though. Let's get the run down:

_1. Her grandfather informed her she had an omai today._

_2. Her alarm clock decided to stop working, which wasn't really a concern, because she was naturally an early rise._

_3. Right. The alarm clock not being important? Scratch that out._

_4. Asuna decided to attempt to cook what could be known as eggs._

_5. Those eggs were burnt to little crisps, and the skillet caught on fire._

_6. Konoka and Asuna spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the kitchen._

_7. Suddenly realizing the time, the duo ran out the door (Konoka skating), and ran for their lives._

_8. They ran into a little boy; Asuna played bad cop, Konoka was the good cop._

_9. Konoka felt a shadow watching her from above._

_10. She turned around. She saw Setsuna._

_11. THE Setsuna Sakurazaki._

Now, seeing _that_ girl in particular was nowhere near a bad thing. In fact, it had made her morning, and the faintest stirrings of her heart had made her delightfully nervous.

Oh, Setsuna.

Her friend ever since she was small.

The girl who had protected her from the crazy dogs and anything scary at her home in Kyoto.

The girl she was starting to_ feel_ something more than friendship for over the years.

* * *

><p>Eventually, lunch time had slowly crept up, and Konoka had managed to convince Asuna she needed some alone time.<p>

So, here she sat, lazily snacking on her bento under the World Tree, replaying this mornings encounter over and over, as she dusted green bits of grass off her legs.

Konoka twirled a piece of her chocolate brown hair between two fingers, a frown marring her features.

Setsuna just _couldn't_ leave her thoughts alone.

_Setsuna walked away from me._

_No, "Wow. Its been so long! How have you been?"_

_Just "Pardon me, m'lady."_

Of course, she somewhat understood. It had been years since they had seen each other.

_But...did that give her the right to act so **cold**?_

It bothered her, she couldn't deny that fact.

_Maybe she forgot you._

Her heart flinched at the thought, but Konoka wasn't one to sit around and cry over possibilities.

If Setsuna forgot her, this girl was going to make her remember, and tell her everything. Again.

For the rest of lunch, she wrote a mental letter to Setsuna.

* * *

><p><em>Setsuna,<em>

_I miss you._

_Why did you leave to train after we fell in that river?_

_I wasn't mad. I was happy we survived. Sure, you couldn't save me, but you were about five then. What could you do?_

_All that aside, I wish I could talk to you. You were always so sweet, kind... and adorable._

_But, do you still care about me?_

_Don't lie either. I saw it. It was all over your face when we saw each other before school today._

_But, I want to hear it from you:_

_Do you still care about me?_

_-Konoka_

* * *

><p>Konoemon had given Setsuna the rest of the day off from school to get to know the land, thank the holy spirits above, as Setsuna wasn't sure how she would handle the rest of the day being near <em>her.<em>

Shaking her head to banish any inappropriate thoughts of a certain chocolate haired girl, Setsuna tilted the velvet black sports bag the headmaster had given her back and forth, which contained her Mahora Guards uniform. Konoemon hadn't shown her the uniform yet, due to the fact he was painfully behind on some paperwork, and in turn, gave her this very bag.

Hopefully, the uniform would fit. Otherwise, it would have to be sent back to the company, where the uniform would be remade. The process was painstakingly long, due to the fact each and every part of the uniform was handmade and finished.

_It must either be a really fancy suite or some clunky armor, _Setsuna decided, as she cringed at the thought of either. After a few moments of debating each idea, Setsuna shrugged. She had faith in the old man, believing he would know what was necessary for easy movement.

Yawning, she continued her walk back to her dorm, fishing in her pockets for her keys. Once she had them in her grasp, she proceeded to fling them into the air lazily, playing her own little game of catch.

She spotted her dorm number, pausing for a moment to find the correct key, and let herself in. Her fingers danced across the wall in a random rhythm, as she hummed a small tune to herself.

The short girl flicked her shoes off, watching them fly into the corner with a clatter, as she gently laid Yunagi in his honorary position by the door. Sighing, she flopped on her bed, pulling the sports bag into her lap as she gently pulled the zipper around.

_Oh, Konoemon knows me well,_ Setsuna grinned pulling out: pieces of black and gray armor, a plain porcelain white wolf mask, spandex like material (she assumed to wear under her armor), and a pair of pants placing them onto her bed with utmost care. Noting the fact that she hadn't pulled all the contents out, the girl lightly grabbed the bag, setting it to the side. A white note fluttered out from the movement, landing upside down on Setsuna's bedspread. Curiosity compelled her to grab it.

_Setsuna-kun,_

_In this bag, along with your armor, should be a white porcelain wolf mask, and a case of paints with a variation of brushes. I want you to make your mask unique, using the paints to simulate whatever pattern you wish! I know you have an artistic side as well, so don't say you can't do this!_

_You are not required to wear this mask on duty, I just request you keep it on your person in case you feel the need to hide your identity. It also must be worn if you are ever sent as an ambassador to any major city, or if you are needed in a public event._

_I also took the liberty of ordering Yunagi a black sheath (also in the bag if you haven't seen it yet) to use when you are out and about at night, and black cover for the hilt._

_Another thing I forgot to mention, as a Mahora Guard, I'm asking you to paint Mahora Academy's symbol on your left shoulder. One time will be fine, as the paint is enchanted. Once you are off patrol, it will disappear, and when you are back on patrol, it will reappear. _

_Your shift starts at 6 tonight. All you have to do is watch for any unusual disturbances in the area._

_Konoemon_

_P.S. May I suggest a slightly different hairstyle when you're on patrol?_

Folding the note into her pocket, Setsuna reminded herself to say "Thanks." to the old guy again. He really did try hard.

Collecting the pieces of her uniform in a neat pile, Setsuna tucked her bangs behind her ear, as she stroked the dark pieces of material. A tingle of excitement shot through her fingertips, making her shiver with delight.

She _had _to get this on.

_Now._

Heaving the open bag onto her shoulder, Setsuna curled her arms around the materials on her bed, dropping to the floor with a soft thud. Quickly, she walked into the bathroom, flicking the lights on with the rounded tip of her nose.

The lights took a minute to reach their full brightness, bathing the room in a cool white glow. Setsuna and Mana's shared bathroom was nothing special, the standard nine by eight foot room, with white walls and wallpaper of cream and pink colored seashells. Mana had taken the opportunity to buy white shaggy wool mats for beside the bathtub and in front on the toilet, which personalized their room to a certain degree.

However, Setsuna liked their bathroom, more than likely because of the large mirror that acted as a sliding shower panel. This was exactly what she hurried over to with the load in her limbs.

Exhaling noisily, Setsuna dropped the items in her arms onto the sink, kicking the door shut with a flourish of her foot. She gave it one final kick to ensure it would stay shut, giving a satisfied smile when a _clink _was heard.

She tugged her socks off with her feet, as she unbuttoned her skirt (along with her stockings), letting it slip the ground before kicking it away.

"Should I take my underwear off?" Setsuna asked herself in the mirror, cocking her head, as her fingers slipped to the waistband of the black garment.

_Ehhh...better not right now. Moving on._

Setsuna tore her shirt off, folding it neatly, and placing it onto the toilet. Now in nothing but her undergarments, she studied herself in the mirror.

Her face seemed to be chiseled out of the finest marble, paler then the moon, and was made of sharp, model like angles. Onyx orbs gleamed pridefully back at her, stroking over the thin pink lips, and a sharp nose.

A small hand brushed over a strong shoulders, quickly rubbing tense muscles, as Setsuna sighed at the pleasurable pressure.

Her chest, bound by tan bandages, was barely noticeable. Setsuna thanked the Gods everyday that she was blessed with these, instead of large, attention drawing breast. From there, she traced over the toned area of her stomach, continuously growing harder her training, down the gentle curve of her hip, and resting on the muscular tone of her legs.

Pleased with her examination, Setsuna reach for the first article of black spandex. Realizing she had accidentally grabbed something made for her arms, she set it aside for later, searching for what appeared to be a top.

"Aha!" Setsuna exclaimed, holding the article of clothing at arms length for examination. It was similar to a muscle tee, only it cut away more at the shoulder, leaving her armpit open. She quickly pulled it over her head, flexing as the material stretched over her frame.

_Hmmph. Not too shabby. I look pretty good._

Slipping on the baggy pants (which came to a bunched band at her ankle), and gloves (which stopped halfway up her upper limb) with expert speed, Setsuna mentally prepared herself for the exciting part.

The actual armor.

Purring with excitement, she picked up what she assumed was to be her breastplate, and slipped her head into the largest hole. The material was firm, not easy to break, but also very flexible with soft padding on the inside. A good balance of comfort and durability.

The breastplate was a dull gray, squeezing and shaping comfortably tight on her figure, and was able to be adjusted by two straps made of the same color and material as the rest of the chest plate. She carefully adjusted the straps so that they were tighter, fitting more securely on her shoulders.

Her fingers danced across her chest, tracing over the flat neckline (if one called it that) that stopped just above the valley of her breast, not that you could see it, due to the spandex she was wearing.

Smirking, Setsuna admitted to herself she _did _look pretty good right now. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the forearm guards laying in the sink, skidding them on as well.

_Now I'm complete,_ Setsuna thought, grinning broadly at her image in the mirror, as she struck a fighting pose.

Hours later, Setsuna sat on the floor of her room, still clothed in her uniform, staring at the mask in her lap. She had carefully painted bright red lines surrounding the eyes, a large spiral of red on the forehead, leading down to the nose, which was a shiny black. For the ears, she had painted black curving lines for fur.

This mask specifically had curls on the side, which Setsuna had painted with black spirals, representing the hair around a wolves neck. As an added flair, she colored a glittery silver in between the lines. Overall, she was pleased, and when she had tried it on earlier, goosebumps rose on her bare skin.

Dare she say it, but she looked _sexy _right now.

The confidence surging through her...was _unreal._

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Pinpointing the source of the annoying sound, Setsuna picked her phone off of her bed, sliding it open.

_Alarm Clock!_

_5:50 p.m._

Licking her chapped lips, Setsuna skillfully painted Mahora Academy's insignia onto her shoulder, blowing on the wet skin in hopes of drying quicker. She girlishly flicked her hair behind her ear, watching as the little 'tattoo' dried, slightly wet in some spots.

Jumping to her feet with admirable skill, Setsuna strode into the bathroom, rubbing the walls through her silk covered hands. Impatiently lifting a pair of open toed black sandals out, and it was quite obvious they were influenced by ninja styles of dress. She slipped them on, tapping them on the cheap tile to be sure they were on correctly.

"Ahhh, right. My hair." Setsuna murmured, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. Shrugging her shoulders, she tore her pony tail loose, letting her raven locks cascade over her shoulders. She played with it for a few minutes, combing it with her fingers to get her desired look.

Giving a nod of approval, she grabbed Yunagi's new outfit, along with her mask, and raced outside into the cool night air and leapt into the trees with no more sound than a rushing wind.

* * *

><p>A strong wind blasted past her ears, her hair billowing behind her like an inky black trail, as she jumped from tree to tree. Her mind was clear, filled with the image of blurred greens, and browns. Legs tingled with pleasure, barely feeling any fatigue in her youthful body.<p>

Suddenly, the trees ended, leading Setsuna to kick with one foot off the last branch, back flipping a few times, then landing on fours. A hand flew to Yunagi, glowing with power in his sleek sheath, as beady eyes flicked around for any signs of life.

_No demons._

_Just fireflies and butterflies and flowers._

Relaxing, Setsuna allowed herself to stand, wiping a bead of sweat off her neck. Sniffling, she rested a hand on her hip as she toed the crunchy grass underneath her feet.

_Where am I..? _Setsuna wondered, surveying her surroundings.

She stood in a meadow, surrounded by trees that towered above. In fact, it was a mystery she ended up here in first place, because it was the exact opposite of the direction she had been heading. She debated whether she should leave now, or stay, but the way the fireflies were glowing was alluring.

She stayed.

_Can't hurt, _she decided, _I sense no demons in the area._

Humming softly, she tiptoed around, noting the daffodils and tulips growing wildly. She spun in a small circle, kneeling down next to a rose bush, as she held out a cloth covered hand to a red spotted purple butterfly timidly flapping its wings.

Setsuna giggled softly, as it twitched its way onto her hand, remaining perfectly still in her palm.

"Hello little friend. Don't worry, I won't harm you." Setsuna murmured softly, gracefully extending a long finger to stroke a wing

Unlike she had expected, the butterfly stayed put, not frightened by the finger ghosting over its wing.

Fireflies illuminated the sky above Setsuna, giving the meadow a magical aura.

Oddly enough, in this meadow, with this butterfly, Setsuna felt at peace. Her eyes softened considerably, as she stood with her newly acquired friend, humming soothing melodies from behind her majestic wolf mask.

Her fingers threaded their way through the rose bush, effectively dodging thorns, as she tugged a bright pink flower from a long stem. In all honesty, she had no idea why she had just done that.

_Or maybe I do..._

Setsuna sighed, staring wistfully at the sky, "I guess I know where we're going."

_Flap. Flap._

Tenderly glancing down, Setsuna noted the patterns of the insects wings.

"I'll call you Heart-chan, since you have a heart on your wing." she declared, eyes twinkling happily, as she brought the butterfly to eye level. True to its name, the butterfly did indeed had a small outline of a heart in red. It beat its wings in agreement.

Without another word, Setsuna moved her hand to her shoulder, allowing the butterfly to crawl on her shoulder. "Comfy?" Setsuna asked, tilting her head to the side.

_The beating of wings._

_The flutter of a smile._

* * *

><p>She explored her meadow, discovering a small lake down a footpath from the clearing.<p>

The water sparkled a dark blue, purple in some places, and reflected the moon in rippling waves. Water lilies floated aimlessly in the pool, some occupied by croaking frogs. A waterfall roared somewhere in the distance, as crickets chirped from an unknown location, making the scene more ethereal in beauty with their song.

Breathing in the mixed scent of wild flowers and clean water, Setsuna settled down on the banks, becoming lost in the moons pale glow.

"Heart-chan, I have wings. Just like you." Setsuna whispered softly.

"But, mine aren't..."

She struggled with her words.

_An omen._

_A curse._

_Wicked._

"Mine aren't considered beautiful, because they're white."

_Flap. Flap._

_Go on._

"When I feel a breeze, my feathers rustle. I want to fly. It pains me that I can't." Setsuna said sadly.

_Who says you can't?_

Heart flew off Setsuna's shoulder, hovering several feet in the air. Shocked, Setsuna stared at the erratic creature, slipping the rose to her pocket as she stood up.

The butterfly beat his wings more urgently.

_Come on. Who says you can't?_

"I-I-I-"

_Come, let's fly together._

Pushing aside any doubts, Setsuna bounded into the air, commanding her wings to come forth.

Feathers gently swayed down, floating on the surface of the water.

Luckily, her uniform hadn't been disrupted, and wasn't suffering from any holes or rips.

Gently flexing her muscles, Setsuna stretched her wings to their maximum span, rolling out the kinks. Her eyes shone with the utmost gratitude towards the butterfly hovering inches from her face. She held out her hand, a gesture she was becoming fond of doing, and curled her fingers into a cup as her companion snuggled inside.

With a great push, Setsuna threw herself up a few hundred feet, bringing her wings closer around her. The wind whistled through the feathery down at the base of her neck, an odd sensation of relief flowing through her.

Setsuna flew like never before, pounding her wings furiously through the air, tasting sweet freedom at last. She spiraled, dived, and glided with great fever, closing her eyes with a smile.

She would never say these words out loud, even if she was just in the company of a creature who could not speak the words of man.

However, she thought them.

_I feel...this way. About Kono-chan. Like I'm soaring high in the sky, but on ground._

_Even though I just saw her for the first time after so many years._

_The feelings stirring in my chest are...crazy. Exhilarating. Hard to describe._

_I-I-I don't know what's happening... but I'll admit it. I like it._

_I wouldn't mind getting close to her again._

_But, more than friends._

* * *

><p>Setsuna glided down sharply into the housing department of Mahora Academy, knowing very well it was a stupid idea, given the chance she could be seen. Yet, her mind wasn't concerned with that possibility as she landed on her feet, creeping to a specific window with just enough light shining through to see the sleeping form of a certain chocolate haired girl.<p>

Heart cringing with longing, Setsuna pulled the baby pink flower from her pocket, her lips whispering a soft kiss onto the petals, as she slipped it onto the window sill (coincidentally opened slightly), and tapped on the window loud enough to get Konoka's attention.

Quick as the wind, Setsuna disappeared, heading back to her dorm room, just as a figure made its way to the window and collected the flower with glowing petals that shimmered in the moonlight.

* * *

><p>Setsuna couldn't help the small smile on her face when Konoka walked in the next day with a suspiciously familiar flower in the pocket of her shirt.<p>

Their eyes met, a flurry of emotions passing through the two, as Konoka walked past Setsuna to her seat.

The chocolate haired girl practically beamed rays of sunshine for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p><em>Setsuna still cared about her.<em>

* * *

><p>Someone wanna take my temperature? Because...I got writing feeeeeevaaaaaaa!<p>

Bahahaha. I need some sleep ^.^

Let me know what you thought people, See you in the next chapter!

Peace~


	4. Chapter 4

Anybody read the newest chapters of Negima? I looked at them last night. I was crying when I saw the picture of Setsuna and Konoka. It can't end this way! I wanna see how they turned out. *Pouts*

Anyone else here think they actually turned into a couple? I need someone to talk to about this T.T

* * *

><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 4**

* * *

><p>You would think, based upon the fact of what occurred the first night of school, that Setsuna would forget all the foolish ideas clouding her brain, and rekindle the friendship that she and Konoka had.<p>

She didn't.

Setsuna, being firmly rooted in her beliefs about herself being a lowly servant, ended up kicking herself after class the day after Konoka had let her know she had received her gift.

The argument went something like this:

_You're pushing it._

_No. You're not. It was just a flower!_

_A flower I gave to her in an act of affection!_

_So? Didn't Konoka seem happy about it?_

_She was just being polite to a servant!_

And after that insult to herself, Setsuna's fighting side had given up.

For now.

Days of ignoring blurred into weeks, then months. It tore Setsuna up inside, but she decided it was best this way.

* * *

><p>Before her mind had a chance to retaliate with thoughts of a certain girl again, Setsuna jumped out of bed, where she had been snuggled so warmly in, and ran to the bathroom to get dressed (she had no idea why she did so, Mana was already gone and wouldn't be hogging said room).<p>

She didn't bother to turn the lights on, preferring the darkness of the room right now, and squirted a gob of creamy blue toothpaste onto her toothbrush. Lazily, she popped it into her mouth, holding the hard bristles between her canine teeth, as she stared at herself in the mirror.

_Maybe I was right, it wasn't breaking any code of conduct,_ Setsuna thought, wiping foaming bits of toothpaste from the edge of her mouth. She bent over into the sink, pulling her bangs away from her face, and spit the minty substance out.

Saddened eyes stared back at her.

_But, you aren't even of a pure bloodline._

_Not human._

_A filthy hanyo._

_You would just tarnish her pure soul._

Her heart stopped beating for a second, as she shivered uncontrollably for a moment. Something painfully clawed at her chest from under her shirt. She sucked on her bottom lip until it was well beyond swollen and red.

Setsuna grit her teeth together, trying to squeeze burning feelings of affection into her chest for her childhood friend, but to no avail. Her thoughts ran rampant, torturing her with their colorful words, and in a blind moment of rage, she aimed to kick the door, but she hit the wall instead.

_**Clack.**_

_**Cl-clack.**_

_**Whumpf.**_

Blinking in realization of her actions, Setsuna checked the wall for any dents, and was relieved to not find any. Chiding herself mentally for letting herself loose control like that, Setsuna stepped out of the bathroom, assuming the noise she had heard seconds ago were from something falling.

She checked behind the door, looked at the table, then at the bunk beds shared by herself and Mana. As far as she was aware, nothing was out of place.

Although.. the gun she found under Mana's blanket was a little unnerving.

Blocking that bone chilling thought out of her mind, Setsuna dusted her hands on her skirt, moving to her dresser to grab the jacket of her uniform. As she slid the door open with a hand on either brass knob, her eyes immediately locked onto the large, sideways cardboard box laying in the back.

_This must be what fell,_ she thought, flinging a maroon jacket onto her bed, as she crouched down to get a closer look at the box.

Her fingernails scraped against the surface, tracing under the fast fading black letters of her name. She half chuckled, half smiled, as she recognized the writing not as her own, but Konoka's.

The box found its way onto her lap, as she moved onto her bed, trying to remember what was inside this particular package. She hummed a soft song, glancing briefly at the clock on the wall, as her hands gently pulled back flaps of cardboard.

Memories flooded through her, hot and sweet; sticking to her hands, then lacing its way all over her body. Her lower lip wobbled dangerously, as she picked up: a thick stack of photos, the small red ball they used to play with, which was still inscribed with their initials, two small pieces of parchment, a paper crown, and a colorful piece of paper from The Tanabata festival.

_Plink._

_Plunk._

She cried for the first time in years.

* * *

><p>Gym lockers slammed shut, clinking obnoxiously loud, as girls giggled loudly and ran into the gym.<p>

Setsuna rubbed her eyes, pressing her locker shut after shoving her uniform, and for some reason, Yunagi inside.

Somehow, she had managed to get herself together just in time for first period, but not without being questioned by Mana. Ironically, Mana had snuck off somewhere between first period and now.

She slipped her white tennis shoes on, pushing the earlier events out of her head, as she focused on getting through this class.

Dodge ball was on the agenda today and you could _smell_ the tension burning between the teams, already assembled without Setsuna.

"Yo, Setsuna! You're over here!" Asuna yelled, waving her hand wildly, as she tucked a red ball under her arm, resting on her hip.

"Oh no you don't! Setsuna was OUR'S!" Ayaka screeched from the opposite side of the gym, pointing an accusing finger towards the steaming red head. Asuna growled, gripping the ball at her side with a knuckle white grip, as she stomped to the center line, Ayaka following her example.

"SHE'S OUR'S!"

"NO, YOU APE, SHE'S OUR'S!"

"AT LEAST I'M NOT A CRADLE ROBBER!"

_Riiiiiight. I forgot we have a ten year old for a teacher this year, _Setsuna deadpanned at the thought.

Ayaka's jaw dropped, her fighting flame momentarily extinguished, as Asuna beckoned for Setsuna to come to their side.

Shrugging, Setsuna took a place in the back next to Nodoka, who kindly acknowledged her with a nod. Smiling in return, Setsuna looked past Zazie's shoulder, resting her protective gaze on Konoka, who was standing at the front lines.

Her sensitive ears picked up the (whispered) war cry of "_You won this round, monkey."_ from Ayaka, menacingly backing away from the center line.

_Oh boy, _Setsuna sighed, bracing herself for intense physical activity, as she noted the collection of balls laying on the gym floor. Instinctively, Setsuna sidled past Zazie, taking a position directly behind Konoka, as Asuna reared her arm back and hurled a ball at Ayaka's backside.

Game on.

Makie dived last minute to take the ball for Ayaka, laying on her side dramatically, as Ayaka wheeled around.

"Hey, you started early!" Ayaka snarled, scooping up a green ball at her feet, as she helped her pink haired teammate to the sidelines.

"Well, I was hoping I would hit Ayaka, but Makie is good too." Asuna cheered, pumping a fist in the air, as Konoka giggled.

_I can't help but smile when she laughs._

_Her laugh is so beautiful._

_It's soothing and- HOLY CRAP!_

Setsuna nimbly leaned back, just in time a green ball flew over the tip of her nose, and crashed against the wall behind her. Eyes as big as a basketball, Setsuna sent a shocked gaze to the other side of the team, as her eyes locked onto the only person it could have been (who had decided to show up at that moment).

"_Mana."_ Setsuna growled, showing the smiling mercenary a pair of pointed teeth. She dipped forward, scooping a large ball in her hands, as she took rigid steps. Sending a sharp glare her way, Setsuna reeled back, aiming for Mana's head-

"Wow!"

"Setsuna-san just did that move off of The Matrix!"

"She's so cool!"

Setsuna dropped the ball in her hands, suddenly being crowded by her teammates cheering her on, as the other team stared on in shock. Asuna gave her an especially hard clap on the back, making Setsuna choke on the oxygen she had taken in.

"Wow, I never knew you were that good! Stay up here, we need good players!" Asuna whispered excitedly, pointing to a position _directly _by Konoka's side.

Blushing, Setsuna met Konoka's affectionate gaze, before snapping back into her professional persona.

"Thank you. I will do my best." Setsuna declared, nervously stepping away her circle of admirers, and to the smiling Konoka's side.

"HEY! You better get ready over there because it's time for the Ayaka Barrage!" Ayaka growled, placing her manicured hands on her hip.

Asuna giggled loudly, "What kind of name is _that!_"

Setsuna bit her lower lip to keep a smile from lolling onto her face, as Konoka brushed a hand against Setsuna's own, as the chocolate girl giggled at her roommate's actions.

Quickly, Setsuna crab stepped away, hoping Konoka wouldn't be offended. Within a few seconds, Konoka had noticed, and stepped _closer _to Setsuna, placing her mouth near Setsuna's shoulder.

"Set-chan, that was really cool what you did back there!" Konoka complimented, batting her eyelashes cutely, as Setsuna struggled to keep her cool composure.

Cursing at herself, Setsuna's trademark blush colored her cheeks, gently kissing her ears with a bright pink glow. "Um...t-t-thank you, Ojou-sama." Setsuna stuttered out weakly, barely registering the whizzing of dodge balls behind them.

Konoka's smile faltered at the title, but nonetheless was happy her guardian was speaking to her, and dashed forward to retrieve a ball rolling out of bounds.

Setsuna briefly saw Ku fei effortlessly reeling her arm back, aiming an extremely hard looking rubber ball at Konoka's lithe frame bending over to pick up the ball she had chased after.

Konoka looked up, gasping loudly, as her body suddenly froze and prepared for the blow.

Time seemed to slow, as Asuna's scream of "Konoka!" was lost to the wind; Setsuna flew to her friend's side, crouching down protectively, as she cradled Konoka to her chest.

_**PONG!**_

"_**SET-CHAN!**"_

* * *

><p>An icepack slid begrudgingly onto Setsuna's left eye, a swollen patch of purple by now, as several of her classmates sympathetically watched her walk into their home room a few minutes late.<p>

The famous ten year old teacher looked at her from the chalkboard, "Setsuna-san, what happened to your eye?" he squeaked, as Setsuna waved him away insistently.

"Just an accident in gym, Negi-sensei. I apologize for being late." Setsuna murmured, catching Ku's apologetic stare from the corner of her eye.

Negi pouted for a brief second, before smiling up at his student, "Alright, please take your seat. We're about to start an exciting project!"

Smiling at his childish excitement, Setsuna bowed and returned to her seat in the second row, quietly taking out her notebook and pencil.

"Now as I was saying class, we're going to start a very exciting project today. We're going to get to know each other even better. You will pick one of the names of your fellow classmates out of this," the scruffy haired boy held up a tin can with English writing scrawled on the sides, "And whoever you choose will be your partner. I encourage spending time alone together and activities that encourage bonding, starting Friday since today is Thursday. I'll draw first to get things started."

Setsuna dropped her head on her desk, pressing the ice further into her eye, as she watched Negi pull out a small slip of paper.

"Number 19. Chao Lingshen."

"That's me!" Chao stated happily, jumping up to pick her partner from the can.

"My partner is number 9, Misora Kasuga."

Nodding with all the boyish charm her could muster, Negi gestured for her to pick another name out, "For the next person to draw." he explained.

"Oh!" Chao mumbled, sticking her tongue out, as she drew another slip of paper.

"Number 21. Chizuru Naba."

"My partner is number 30, Satsuki Yotsuba. You're up Madoka-chan."

Setsuna sighed, closing her eyes, as the throbbing in her eyes ceased. Whoever she was with wouldn't be getting a word out of her. She would ask Konoemon for extra shifts to avoid her partner.

_Yeah. That would work. I mean why wouldn't it?_

She was just beginning to feel confident when Konoka stepped up to draw her partner. Curiously, Setsuna watched Konoka dip a finger inside the can, swirling it around for a few minutes. Closing her eyes for luck, Konoka lifted a wrinkled piece of paper out.

Konoka's face turned pink, and Setsuna sat up straight, an unnatural pang of jealously fizzing through her veins.

"M-my partner...is number f-fifteen. S-setsuna Sakurazaki."

..._Huh?_

_Wellllll, maybe this project isn't so bad after all, right? I wouldn't mind spending some alone time with her._

_Looks like I'll be asking Mana to cover my shift for me for a while._

Groaning softly (as she started to calculate how large her debt would soon be), Setsuna pressed her icepack back into her face, as she muttered a small curse at the mercenary somewhere behind her. However, she couldn't stop the small smile creeping its way to her face.

She stared off into the clouds, as Negi continued to call people up to choose partners.

_Life is good_, Setsuna decided, casting a small peek at Konoka, doodling in her notebook, the blush still in existence on her cheeks.

_Life is amazing._

* * *

><p>Later that night, Setsuna was skipping in her meadow, dancing past fireflies, as she fell into the grass with a happy sigh.<p>

"Heart-chan! Heart-channnnnn!" Setsuna yelled, grinning to herself, as she closed her eyes.

_Flap. Flap._

Her little friend fluttered onto her breastplate, remaining still.

_What is it, you silly girl? You seem awfully happy for a girl with a black eye._

Tearing her wolf mask off, Setsuna grinned even brighter, if it was possible. She carefully laid it down next to Yunagi, as she held her hand out to the butterfly, who already knew what to do.

Shifting into a sitting position, Setsuna stared at her feet, a little itchy from the grass. She cupped Heart in her hand, bringing it closer to her face.

"We have to do a project, and it's just getting to know your partner!" Setsuna smiled, slightly abashed.

_That's what has gotten you so giggly?_

"No, no! K-Konoka is my partner!" Setsuna giggled, which she knew was very out of character right now, but she couldn't help herself.

_Hmm-hmmm-hmmm. She's got you wrapped around her fingers already. You haven't spoken 10 words to her in the past month either._

Setsuna slowly stood up, sliding her companion to her shoulder, as she brushed a few hairs out of her face. She pursed her lips before replying.

"I know, it's terrible. I really shouldn't be acting this way. She's my charge."

_Stop that right now. Don't you deserve some happiness for all the work you've done?_

Setsuna slumped into a pile at the base of a tree, "Yeah. I suppose I do. I'm excited...but I'm afraid at the same time. What if she talks to me, and it goes horribly wrong?"

_Don't think about that. Think of what could go right. A friendship that means a lot to you has a chance to be rekindled? That's an opportunity you can't let go._

Hairs raised on Setsuna's back, as she gently swept Heart from her shoulder, placing the butterfly back on the rose bush, as she grabbed her sword and mask. "Demons." Setsuna murmured, eyes growing cold and emotionless, as she slipped her mask on.

"Stay hidden." She instructed to the butterfly perched on a budding rose, as she raced towards the demonic energy making her skin prickle with excitement.

She would be glad when tomorrow came so she could spend some time with her beloved princess, but for now, she a demon to teach a lesson to.

* * *

><p>Things just got exciting people! And I'm beginning to cope with what's happening in the manga...*burst into tears* They look SOOOOO beautiful from what I can see!<p>

T.T Well, as always people, let me know what you think!

Peace~


	5. Chapter 5

YOSH! It's all okay now! The manga is not so sad! I can die happy now. *lays down in coffin*

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT! *Sits up*

Where's my final Konosetsu moment? Ken, if you're listening, you better make it happen. Don't make me come over there mister! *shakes fist angrily*

Anywho~

**Closetotaku711**: Yes. Sestuna is talking to that butterfly. Sometimes animals/insects appear to understand everything you say. Don't worry, she's not crazy. But she is for Konokaaaa :3

**Snoozy:**Thank you so much for telling me that! I ran through the house saying "SHE CAME BACKKKKK!"

But don't we all wish for a scene that solidifies their (KonoSetsu) relationship before it ends?

I know I do.

Enjoy. I have a feeling this chapter is a good one.

* * *

><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 5**

* * *

><p>Setsuna was pleasantly surprised the next morning to find her eye wasn't swollen or colored red, just splashed with purple underneath. She carefully poked a finger to the purple area, hissing in pain, as she found out it hurt to touch. Sighing, Setsuna grabbed her stuff and headed to class, thanking her demon blood for such a speedy recovery in the back of her mind.<p>

On her way up through the main square, Ku fei managed to catch up to her, asking the stoic swordswoman if she would mind her company. Shaking her head, Setsuna returned to walking, as she listened to Ku rattle off a series of apologies.

"I sorry, Captain Setsu!" Ku muttered, staring sadly at Setsuna's eye, which she was surprised to find was healing incredibly fast.

Adjusting Yunagi on her back, Setsuna flusteredly waved the girl away, "Don't call me 'captain' here, and no, it's fine. It was my fault for putting my face in line with your throw. Good form, by the way."

The martial arts master pursed her lips, staring down at her feet, as she struggled with her thoughts.

As they neared the door, Ku looked up at Setsuna, grinning in only the way she could.

"The way Setsuna defend Konoe-san was cool! You two make great couple. I cover your patrol for a while, yes? I have to go now, Chao waiting for me!" Ku declared, dashing the opposite direction they were heading, leaving a bewildered Setsuna in her wake.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Setsuna stood firmly rooted in her spot, trying to comprehend what had just transpired.

"_You two make great couple."_

_Huh..._

"_You two make great couple."_

_Hmm..._

"_You two make great couple."_

_**Click.**_

"Oh my gosh!" Setsuna screamed, blushing to a magnitude that rivaled the sun, as Yunagi and her bag fell from her shoulders. She stood there for what seemed like hours, mouth gaping open like a fish, until she noted the tidal wave of girls dashing towards her.

Groaning, Setsuna headed into the school, desperately fanning her face in hopes of cooling down.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, today wasn't a gym day, so Setsuna walked into homeroom free of any injuries. Setsuna's hand unconsciously flew to massage the tender flesh around her eye, as she dropped her belongings to the ground, and quietly took her seat.<p>

Eventually, Negi came in, his voice cracking miserably, as he quieted his rowdy class down. Setsuna twirled her pencil absentmindedly, watching Ayaka step forward to compliment Negi on his tie.

"_Shota-con..." _A voice whispered a little bit too loudly behind Setsuna.

Stifling a chuckle, Setsuna covered her mouth with her hand, knowing very well it was Asuna'whispering' that insult.

Ayaka twitched, sending Asuna a murderous look, fuming as she took her seat again.

Clearing his throat nervously, Negi picked a stack of papers off of his desk, and held them up for someone to pass out. The twins hopped out of their seats, dashing to the front before Ayaka could even stand up, and tore the papers out of their teacher's hands before passing out the papers.

Once complete, both girls took their seats, sticking their tongues out at Ayaka's shocked expression.

Scratching his head, Negi held up his own copy of the paper, walking through the rows of girls as he explained it.

"Last night, I took the liberty of making this sheet of questions for all of you to use for your project. These questions aren't required, but I thought they would give some of you girls a place to start with. Every few weeks, I want you all to tell the class something new you learned about your partner. I think for the rest of the period I'll let you girls plan with your partners. Go ahead!" Negi shouted cheerfully, smiling as his class burst into shouts of "Come over here!" and "Let's work over here."

Setsuna's stomach suddenly felt queasy, as she looked behind her, and spotted Konoka gathering her things. Checking to be sure Madoka had left to be with Fumika, Setsuna scooted forward so Konoka could squeeze behind her.

Taking a shaky breath inwards, Setsuna slapped her cheeks when she smelled the soft scent of vanilla wafting off Konoka's skin.

_Dang you oxygen!_

_Who needs you!_

Coughing nervously, Setsuna found the courage to turn and face Konoka, who was sliding her bag to the floor. Hearing Setsuna's cough, Konoka sat up agonizingly slow, giving her guardian a small smile.

"Hi, Set-Chan." Konoka whispered, accidentally bumping her knee against Setsuna's, blushing at the contact.

Not trusting her voice, and assuming her cursed blush was betraying her feelings, Setsuna simply nodded and kept her eyes trained on the wall behind Konoka's head. She knew very well that all that would exit her mouth would be a blubbering mess of nouns and verbs.

Twiddling her thumbs nervously, Konoka nodded to Asuna, stubbornly talking to her partner which was ironically, Ayaka, and looked at her friend's flushed face. "Um, Asuna's going to be in our room tonight, with Ayaka. She said she didn't mind if we were there either, but I want to..."

Cocking her head when Konoka stared at her fingers sheepishly, Setsuna felt her bodyguard instincts kick in, "Yes, Ojou-sama?"

Ignoring the title, Konoka fidgeted slightly under Setsuna's concerned gaze, "I would rather be alone with Set-Chan."

Setsuna sat stiffer than a board, gasping for oxygen when she realized she had been holding her breath, as she invented another whole level of red. She opened her mouth to speak, but found no words to speak.

_Say something, stupid!_

"I-If that's what O-Ojou-sama wishes, I w-will ar-r-range for it to be s-so." Setsuna stuttered, searching for her roommate. Suddenly, someone softly tapped her shoulder, making her jump.

"Setsuna, I'll be with Kaede tonight. The room is your's and Ku is taking over your patrolling tonight. Enjoy yourself." Mana said, and leaning closer to Setsuna's ear, "_Don't mess up my sheets,** Captain**."_

Sighing in anguish, Setsuna let her head fall to her desk, jumping when her nerves reminded her of her black eye.  
><em>I can't get a break today, <em>Setsuna whimpered, covering her eye up with her hand, relieved when Mana retreated away from herself and Konoka.

"So, are we going to your place?" Konoka asked, sounding surprisingly hopeful, as she put her face dangerously close to Setsuna's.

Gasping for breath, Setsuna nodded, praying she didn't suddenly twitch and send her lips crashing against the suddenly attractive pair inches in front of her.

_But maybe, if I did, it wouldn't go horrible. Maybe she would- Gah! Bad thoughts! Bad, BAD thoughts!_

Jerking herself away, Setsuna folded her hands neatly on top of her skirt, refusing to look at the girl beside her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, pretending their shoes were interesting, as they listened to the talking and giggles surrounding them. Setsuna sighed, feeling

Konoka glance at her, as she held her face in her hands. She flashed Konoka the tiniest reassuring smile she could, before staring off into space.

_I'm so conflicted right now._

_If I become too close to Konoka, there's the chance I'll fail, and she'll get hurt again._

_But, there's a part of me that wants to be close to her. A side that wants to share her moments of happiness and sadness. I want to be with her, so badly, but she would never look at me._

_The daughter of a devil doesn't deserve to be around an angel._

"-an."

"-chan."

"Set-Chan!" Konoka shouted, shaking the shorter girl's shoulder urgently, drawing her out of her thoughts. Smiling once she had her attention, Konoka gestured to the empty desks surrounding them, and the absence of lights, "Everyone left a few minutes ago. I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. I think Set-Chan was thinking about something perverted." the chocolate haired girl teased, enjoying the blush that spread to her partner's face.

"O-Ojou-sama, I can assure you I wasn't-"

"Shh," Konoka whispered, placing a finger onto Setsuna's lips, "It's Kono-chan."

Gently sliding a delicate finger away from her lips, Setsuna stood up, placing a fist to her heart as she bowed, "I'm sorry, Ojou-sama, but it would not be proper for me to do such a thing. It's my duty to-"

Konoka's hand muffled the rest of her speech, accompanied with an annoyed stare. "I said, 'Shh'. I order you to call me 'Kono-chan' and forget about your duty when it's just us, do you understand?"

Blushing, but nodding in submission to her princess' wishes, Setsuna bowed her head, preparing to apologize, but was startled when Konoka nearly dislocated her shoulder by dragging the girl out of her seat.

"Come on, Set-Chan! It's getting late!" Konoka giggled, watching Setsuna struggle to grab her stuff, as she drug her out of the barren room.

* * *

><p>They ran (in Setsuna's case though, were dragged) back to her dorm room, which surprised Setsuna, given the fact Konoka had never seen her dorm. She shrugged the fact off, after all, Konoka was the headmaster's granddaughter, and she had her ways of getting whatever she wanted.<p>

When they neared her door, Setsuna moved to pull out her keys, but Konoka was ahead of her, pulling them out of Setsuna's pocket, and shoving the golden object into the lock.

Scampering inside, Konoka collapsed onto Setsuna's bed, staring up cutely at Setsuna with pink cheeks.

Scratching her head nervously, as butterflies took flight in her chest, and her heart started going way over the speed limit, Setsuna pointed to her bathroom, muttering "I, uh, need a shower. If you don't mind."

Konoka nodded in understanding, looking away as Setsuna got into her dresser, and pulled out a bundle of clothes before dashing to the bathroom for temporary safety.

The shower _whooshed _on, letting Konoka know Setsuna was inside. _Naked, _her mind shouted before she could stop it. Blushing at the thought, Konoka shook her head, whipping chocolate bangs.

She couldn't help it though, no one could deny Setsuna had a nice body, underneath all the layers of clothes she was positive she wore.

What other reason would Setsuna have to always be red like that?

Before she could wonder about other possibilities, Setsuna strode out of the bathroom, dressed in a dark blue sweatshirt with 'Mahora Academy' written in bright yellow lettering, and a pair of tight, black spandex shorts. Thanks to the towel Setsuna was using to dry her wet hair off with, Setsuna didn't see the shocked, slightly drooling, Konoka sitting on her bed.

Sniffling, Setsuna tossed the towel into the dirty hamper, deciding her hair was as dry as it was going to get. Coughing awkwardly, Setsuna slid onto her blanket with Konoka, curling her legs to her chest, as she flicked wet bangs out of her eye.

"So..." Setsuna trailed off, eying the sheet of questions on Konoka's lap.

Tearing herself away from the drops of water curling off Setsuna's hair, Konoka coughed, pulling the paper closer for examination, before crumbling it up and tossing it in the corner.

"What are you do-"

"Why have you ignored me for the past month, Set-Chan?"

Shocked, Setsuna flicked her head to look at the brunette beside her, sending little flecks of water onto her wall. Blinking dumbly, Setsuna say not a word, as she unconsciously unfurled her legs, completely awed by the emotion burning in the slightly younger girl's eyes.

"W-what do you mean?" Setsuna forced out, closing her eyes, and gritting her teeth.

Konoka's hand found it's way onto Setsuna's lap, enjoying the warmth that was steaming off of her.

"You know what I mean, Setsuna." Konoka stated sadly, pressing her hand further into Setsuna's warm legs.

_I can't avoid this, _Setsuna thought dejectedly, gathering what little courage she had, as she stared at the motionless hand laying in her lap.

"Because." Setsuna whispered softly, making Konoka crane her neck just to catch it.

Knowing Setsuna well enough, Konoka didn't say a word, only gazing at her friend's bruised, yet handsome face intently.

As she expected, Setsuna shakily continued.

"Because all those years ago, when I almost _lost you_... I couldn't _bear _to see you in danger like that again. I felt so weak, so very _helpless, _Kono-chan! So I trained hard, hard enough for your dad to give me his sword, and then he sent me here." Setsuna whimpered, voice trailing off into a weak whisper, as she tipped her head down in shame.

"I was so happy to see you, but I didn't want to get close and end up in a situation like we did when we were little. I didn't think you liked me after all of that.." Setsuna trailed off helplessly, her lips trembling not from the temperature, but from the thought that she _could _be _right._

She heard the motion of Konoka's mouth opening, and fearfully tried to wiggle away from the hand in her lap, as she felt tears burning the rims of her eyes.

Soft hands cupped her cheeks, threading fingers through her damp locks, as foggy black eyes bore into teary brown ones. "I like you, Set-Chan." Konoka whispered tenderly, caressing her guardian's cheeks lovingly, sending shivers down the recipients spine.

"I'll always like you. I was so, _so, _very happy when I saw you on that roof top. I've missed you so much. I.."

"Kono-Chan, I'm sorry I put-"

"_I've been so lonely without you! I have Asuna, but she's not __**you**__! I don't want to be alone__**, **__without you by my side anymore! You're __**my **__Set-Chan! You make me feel so safe, and when we were little, loved! But you left me alone through the years...a-and I'm not sure if I can take that again!" _Konoka sobbed, tackling Setsuna hard enough that the swordswoman fell into her pillows, sending them flying off of her bed in a fray of movement.

In that moment, whether it was from Konoka's crying or from Setsuna's rational side beating her other half away is unknown, but regardless, Setsuna's tough wall crumbled to dust as she realized just how much she had hurt her dear princess, as she pulled Konoka tighter to her chest, tears streaming down her face.

_How could I cause her so much pain.._

_I'm so stupid, so blind.._

_How could I not see that she's been hurting all these years.._

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, Kono-chan. I-I just wanted to protect you physically, but I've been ignoring the troubles you have emotionally. I'm so sorry!" Setsuna choked out, stroking brown locks, as she listened to Konoka's sobbing quiet down.

Tearful chocolate eyes looked up, and the proximity of the two girls was so close, Konoka's glossy, pink lips grazed Setsuna's chin, making the latter blush through her tears.

"You p-promise?" Konoka murmured against pale flesh, the last of her tears trailing down her cheeks and _plinking_ onto the smooth column of Setsuna's throat.

_She's so vulnerable right now, _Setsuna thought, _and she needs me to help her. I can't let her down. Not again._

Lovingly smiling, Setsuna nodded, "I promise. I promise I won't leave your side again. I'm going to be here when you want to talk or just want to hang out. I'll stay by your side forever, and if you die, the moment I pass, I'll come looking for you again in the next life. This time around, I'm going to protect not just your body, but your heart too. I'm going to make you feel loved like never before."

Konoka tearfully smiled, lifting herself up on her hands, as she nervously pressed her lips to Setsuna's black eye.

Feeling Setsuna twitch below her, Konoka drew back, tears threatening fall from her beautiful eyes again. "Did I hurt you?" she whispered, covering her mouth in fear.

Tossing her raven locks around, Setsuna smiled, poking the skin under her eye, surprised to find that it no longer hurt.

_Maybe it isn't surprising._

_Eishun did say her powers were great._

Giggling in relief, Konoka pressed their foreheads together (ignoring Setsuna's powerful chameleon powers of course), staring into Setsuna's eyes, shining with silliness.

"You know," Konoka began, glancing over at the forgotten crumpled up paper ball in the corner, "One of those questions had something to do with eyes. You know what I notice about yours?"

Genuinely curious, Setsuna murmured a general response, mulling over the possibilities of what one could notice. Her eyes were plain, nothing but harsh darkness, at least in her opinion, but she would hear Konoka out.

"When you're being the shell of Setsuna, or you're mad or sad, they're black. When you're happy, their a lighter brown."

"Right now, they look like butterscotch, or caramel." Konoka added quickly, rolling off of Setsuna to retrieve one off the pillows thrown to the floor. When she came back up with the fluffy object, she was surprised to see a blank expression on the older girl's face.

"What's the matter, Set-Chan?"

"Oh, um, nothing. I was just thinking." Setsuna admitted, staring at the pillow in her childhood friend's grasp.

Noticing Setsuna's gaze, Konoka dropped it, "Oh, I'm sorry for not asking if I could stay. I-I'll be going home right now." Konoka stated, swinging her legs over the bed to find the shoes she was unaware she had taken over, but was stopped by a hand firmly grabbing her wrist.

"N-no. You can stay, please don't go." Setsuna pleaded, surprised by the tone in her voice as much as Konoka was.

_What the heck! I did NOT just say that..._

_Urgh. I sound lame._

_Well, whatever. I don't want to see her go right now._

"You can stay as long as you want. I'll even take the couch." Setsuna offered, jumping up to ready the couch for sleeping, but turned around when a soft voice lulled her back.

"I want to sleep with Set-Chan. It'll be just like when we were kids." Konoka stated simply, slipping her jacket and shirt off; giggling when Setsuna's jaw dropped and the shorter girl whipped around while covering her eyes.

"K-k-kono-chan! Why are you stripping like that?" Setsuna shrieked, refusing to turn around and face her bed.

Giggles turned into hysterical laughter, as Konoka continued to strip down to her panties and bra, pushing the discarded pile of clothes on the floor under the bed.

"Because," Konoka explained in the midst of her giggles, "That uniform isn't the best thing to sleep in, silly."

Grabbing her friend's hand and dragging her back to the bed, Konoka also added a good "We're both girls, right? Stop being such a scaredy cat!"

Squirming in Konoka's grasp, Setsuna stopped herself from saying "Not counting the fact that I want you."

Konoka pulled back the blankets of Setsuna's bed, laying on her side, as she beckoned Setsuna to join her. Fidgeting, and also praying for herself not to do anything inappropriate in her sleep, the female warrior slipped under the sheets.

Smiling, Konoka brought Setsuna closer, snuggling the latter's face into her chest. Blushing, but not bothering to move from her position nestled into Konoka's breast, and yawned.

_I didn't realize how tired I was. That talk must have taken a lot out of me, _ Setsuna thought, smiling up at Konoka, as her eyelids suddenly became heavy.

"G'night, Kono-chan." Setsuna murmured sleepily, closing her eyes, and succumbing to sleep's call.

"Good night, Set-Chan." Konoka whispered back, enjoying the feeling of holding Setsuna in her arms.

She waited patiently for the samurai's breathing to even out, before placing a kiss to the top of her head, whilst threading fingers through silk locks.

"Set-chan, it's okay. I know you need me as much as I need you. Don't be afraid to admit that. I won't hate you for it. Just please, don't leave me again. I-I love you." Konoka whispered, blushing brightly, as she placed another kiss on Setsuna's sleeping form. Sighing, she too succumbed to sleep, wrapping her arms around Setsuna's waist, as she closed her eyes for the night.

_Thank you, Negi-sensei._

* * *

><p>I won't lie to you guys, I'm confident in this chapter. No magical flutteby, sadly, but a scene I'm quite proud of.<p>

Let me know what you thought of it and thanks for reading and the kind reviews!

Till next time *Runs off to wait for next chapter of Negima*

Peace~


	6. Chapter 6

True story:

Me:Ehhhhhhh. New chapters of the manga take forever to uploaaad. I wanna see it nowwwww.

(From the kitchen)

Uncle: STOP WHINING SO LOUDLY!

Me:*straightens back and makes straight face* Yes, ma'am. *whispers* I. Want. To. See. It. Now.

Uncle: I heard that. I'm not a woman.

Ahhh, family. Anywho~ I'm most definitely taking all your suggestions.

**Closetotaku711**: A feminine Setsuna is coming down your way, don't worry.

**Guerilla Warfare**: Magical flutterbies are coming up, maybe not this chapter, but soon! *thumbs up*

And to everyone else, thanks!

* * *

><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 6**

* * *

><p><em>Maybe I can-<em>

"Mmmmm..."

_Dammit. Let me try and-_

"_Mmmmm..."_

_Gah! This isn't working!_

Setsuna dropped her head, forgetting the fact that the action would end with her head resting on a certain girl's ample chest. Turning the color of Mars, Setsuna craned her neck upwards, desperately trying to avoid looking down at the cleavage before her.

In all honesty, Setsuna had forgotten Konoka had stayed over after the events that transpired, and that little slip up had put her in _quite _the predicament.

Twisting her face up in anger directed at herself, Setsuna cursed her senses for not being able to recognize the difference between _skin _and _sheets_.

Because at this very moment, Setsuna Sakurazaki had _her _hand in Konoka Konoe's, yes, _The _Konoka Konoe's underwear.

_This is probably one of the most dangerous, yet exciting moments of my life, _Setsuna decided, unable to deny the fact that the image of her best friend, looking as pure, sweet, and innocent while sleeping, coupled with the fact her hand was hovering just inches above _naughty _place...

Shivering with excitement, Setsuna ran her tongue over her lips, as the action of keeping her fingers still became harder to do. Warm sparks trailed down her body, pooling at the base of her stomach and gathering with intensity.

_She looks so...sexily innocent right now._

_Go ahead, move down just a **little, **feel her gorgeous body up._

_Let your desires go, be untamed for a while. Konoemon and Eishun won't mind._

_No, _Setsuna shouted at herself, pushing out the _deliciously erotic _ideas dancing around in her head, as she focused on how to get out of this situation.

Key details of this situation:

_1. Setsuna's hand was firmly held into place on the apex of Konoka's thigh by her underwear._

_2. Trying to slide her hand up would only result in one of Konoka's suggestive noises._

_3. Konoka's arms were wrapped around her neck._

_4. Secretly, Setsuna was in love with this situation._

_5. She was kicking herself for the last fact._

Groaning, Setsuna came up with the only solution that would get her out of this mess. In truth, she wasn't sure if it was much better than her situation now, but then again, how would _you _explain this to your best friend?

_Alright. I'm going to take Kono-chan's panties off. Ahaha, it's not that hard, right?_

…_.Kill me now._

Closing her eyes, Setsuna attempted to keep her cool (which is extremely hard, if I may add, when there's a knee pressed in between your legs that belongs to someone you like), as she gently gripped the hem of Konoka's panties, stretching them outwards so her hand wouldn't brush against skin.

"I'm sorry, Kono-chan, but I have to do this." Setsuna murmured huskily, rolling Konoka's arms off of her neck, as she began dragging the sleeping girl's underwear down her legs.

Unconsciously, Setsuna had looked down, just to be sure she wasn't about to touch anything, but the sight of a triangle of dark brown curls had sent her eyes locked onto a small hair splaying across Konoka's cheek.

_My eyes probably look like the moon right now, _Setsuna grumbled mentally, halting her hands when she noticed the chocolate haired girl's eye twitch.

Warily, Setsuna continued her process, slowly dragging her body down as well, but keeping her gaze directed anywhere but the large expanse of skin before her.

"I-I k-know I shouldn't be saying these about you but.." Setsuna whispered, chewing on her lip nervously, as she worked the cursed article of clothing down to slim ankles.

"I really want you right now. It _hurts _having you in _my _bed like this," she sighed, her heart pounding in her chest, as Konoka twitched, head lolling over onto the pillow they both had shared.

"But I know, you just think of me as a friend." Setsuna whispered, cheering as she held up the offending article of clothing, a pair of black panties decorated with pink polka dots, with a grin.

_Wow, can't believe I just did that! _Setsuna cried inside, blushing slightly, as she held her best friend's panties a few inches away for examination.

_I deserve this, _she persuaded herself, testing the elasticity of the thin cloth in her hands.

_Yes, I do!_

_..Maybe just a...sniff?_

Blushing pink at the thought, but complying nonetheless, the warrior brought cotton panties to her rosy pink nose and quickly inhaled, just once.

Shamefully, Setsuna admitted she was thoroughly enjoying the sickly sweet smell of sweat mixed with her Kono-chan's vanilla scented soap.

_Kami, I can't BELIEVE how primal I'm being right now._

Closing her eyes, as she unconsciously buried her face in those devilish panties, she whispered countless thoughts of how her actions were wrong, and finally, the thought occurred to her that she _should _put Konoka's underwear back on her.

She opened her eyes, ready to get this over with, and-

_Oh crap.._

Setsuna didn't realize she had vocalized her thoughts, not until she watched those accursed pink lips blossom into a minx of a smile.

Hyperventilating, the only action the flustered swordswoman could complete, was the shaking of her head in denial.

_This isn't happening._

_No. I'll pinch myself, a-and when I open my eyes, she''ll be sleeping!_

_Uh-huh. I just inhaled too much is all! Hahahahahah! That's right!_

Konoka batted her eyelashes slowly, as he propped herself up on her elbow, and crossed her legs as she lay on her side; savoring the fact she had _caught Setsuna _in a pervasive act.

_This is too rich,_ Konoka giggled mentally, watching Setsuna continue to fool herself she was hallucinating.

"Setsuna."

Nearly choking as she attempted to swallow with a lack of saliva in her mouth, Setsuna decided there was an interesting speck of dust on her window.

No, no. Not there, over _there_.

"Y-y-yes?"

_Oh Set-Chan, Set-Chan. You should know by now not to play coy with me._

Tapping her finely manicured fingernails against her cheek, Konoka smirked, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Why do you have my underwear? And, to be more exact, why were you just smelling them?" Konoka asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side, as she beamed a joyful smile at her guardian.

Setsuna searched every cavity of her mind for a believable explanation, wishing she could hire the famous detective they had read about in English to find her one.

_What was his name..Sherlock something?_

_Ack! I'm off topic, _Setsuna fidgeted slightly at the adorable smile Konoka was sending her way.

_I need an explanation. Fast._

_Come on, Setsuna! They trained you to be a fast thinking bodyguard..._

_Wait! That's it!_

"Konoka Ojou-sama-"

"Kono-chan."

"Kono-chan," Setsuna repeated, nodding her head as she remembered the order given to her the past night, "I was simply _ehhhh..._s-sniffing your uh, panties because I smelled the distinct odor of a venomous spider, and not wanting you to get hurt, I checked your underwear for any poison left by the spider, which has disappeared."

_Oh, she's good, _Konoka complimented, drawn to the pair of full, light pink lips curved into a confident grin.

"Here. I have found them to have no trace of any poison." Setsuna declared, presenting the undergarment back to Konoka, as she gave the halfway naked girl an award winning smile, missing the blush that lit the recipients face by milliseconds.

Stuttering out her appreciation, Konoka moved restlessly, giving Setsuna the hint that she needed a little privacy for this.

"Uhhh..Sorry." Setsuna said, turning around, as she flopped on her stomach and stared at the wall.

Coughing, Konoka slipped her underwear and threw her uniform uniform with ease, tapping Setsuna on the shoulder to let her know she was done.

Placing her hand over Setsuna's petite ones, Konoka leaned her head on Setsuna's shoulder, "Walk me back to my dorm?"

Pouting at the thought of Konoka leaving so soon (which the brunette found intolerably adorable), Setsuna nodded, sending Konoka a sad smile.

_I could never say this out loud, Kono-chan..._

_ But, I don't want you to leave._

_I feel like part of my heart is leaving, and now I'm going to be lonely._

_I keep thinking you're going to disappear, and last night was all a dream._

_I...don't want it to be that way, _Setsuna thought, keeping her face pointedly stoic, as she held the door open for Konoka on the way out.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, they arrived in front of Konoka and Asuna's shared dorm.<p>

Setsuna awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot, wondering why Konoka seemed to be stalling so much.

"It was nice talking with you like that, after such a long time.." Konoka trailed off, fishing in her pockets for a set of keys, knowing very well Asuna would be out somewhere on her paper route.

Rocking on her heels, Setsuna nodded silently, staring at the interesting pattern on the sidewalk.

Konoka laughed, but you could hear the under lying hint of sadness.

_Setsuna, why won't you make a move? I'm giving you the perfect opportunity. Take it?_

Sighing, Konoka reluctantly shoved her key into the lock, blowing her bangs upwards in frustration.

Setsuna licked her lips, having a sense of _fight _or _flight_ in her chest, as she watched her dear friend's hand fly to the door knob.

_It's now or never, Sakurazaki. What are you going to do, hmm?_

"Fight." Setsuna whispered under her breathe, grabbing Konoka a little too roughly by her shoulder, and gently pressed her lips to the tip of the surprised heiress' nose.

"Bye, Kono-chan. I'll come over Monday morning?"

"Y-yeah. Bye, S-set-chan." Konoka stuttered out shyly, sliding into her room while Setsuna calmly walked away (until she was out of sight, where proceeded to face palm herself, asking how she could be so stupid), and cut the lights on, somewhat surprised to not see Negi anywhere in sight.

Giggling to herself, the chocolate haired princess set out to make some tea, as she awaited the return of her best friend.

* * *

><p>When Asuna walked into her dorm room, she had been met with the <em>peculiar <em>sight of a giggly Konoka. Scratch that, the giggling was normal, but the aura that was floating off the girl was the odd thing.

Then it clicked.

What reason could it be other than _that_?

"Alright," Asuna grinned at her roommate, picking up a cup of tea set at her seat at the table, "Spill the beans girl."

Konoka had obliged happily, filling her in on the bare minimum of what had occurred last night, and Asuna found herself swimming in new information.

"So..." the red head trailed off, pausing to take a sip of tea, as Konoka stared at her curiously.

"Is it still just sexual attraction? Or is it turning into actual 'I want to marry her and have kids' _err_... Sorry 'bout that, Konoka." Asuna mumbled, sheepishly scratching her head, as she remembered the actual requirements of reproduction.

The brunette waved her hand, dismissing Asuna's slip up, and stared thoughtfully off into the distance.

Asuna patiently waited for Konoka to collect her thoughts, casually sipping from her cup, as time ticked on.

She wondered what Setsuna was like, besides the lustful depiction the girl sitting across from her had given. Speaking of which, Asuna had rarely heard Konoka's "crush" speak.

_I wonder if her voice is deep. That would be weird...but cool!_

_Like...what if it was Arnold Schwarzenegger deep?_

_TO DA' CHOPPA'!_

_Ohhhhh, yes. That would be cool,_ Asuna smiled dumbly at her thoughts, visibly enjoying herself.

"I don't know." the girl across from her stated simply, seeming to be slightly troubled by that response.

"_Eh_? How can you not be sure, after all the stuff you told me!" Asuna shouted, holding her head dramatically, as she fell to the floor mumbling something about girls being confusing.

Sighing, Konoka pushed her cup away from her, placing her head on her arms, as she stared blankly ahead.

"It's hard to explain, Asuna. I feel like it's getting to the 'liking' stage, but I feel like right now it's all stupid teenage hormones." Konoka groaned, trying to collect all of her feelings for the samurai girl in one corner of her mind.

Nodding her head in understanding, Asuna reached across the table, placing her larger hands on Konoka's. "Just don't think about it too hard," Asuna advised with a soft smile, "If you and that goof are meant to be together, it's going to happen. If it _is _just lust, you can always get a good fling out of it!"

"Asuna!" Konoka shouted, blushing miserably, as she tossed the pillow beside her at the winking girl.

"What? You know you were thinking it!" Asuna defended, jumping out of the way, as pillows and blankets came hurtling at her head.

Diving to the floor, as a pillow swiped one of her pigtails, Asuna crawled on her hands, comically straining to pull herself into the kitchen and away from Konoka's assault.

"TO DA' CHOPPA'!" the red head screamed, purposefully trying to get her best friend's mind off such a stressful topic.

Falling into a mixed pile of limbs, Konoka laughed hysterically, gasping for air, as the image of Asuna doing something so _silly_ was burned into her mind, along with a vow to a certain warrior:

_Setsuna, I promise you, it isn't just lust._

_It can't be!_

* * *

><p>Sorry if it seems a little short. I start Istep next week, and the teachers are pounding it into our heads with mini hammers. I mean come on, it won't attack you when your back is turned and gobble you up for dinner! -.-<p>

Anyways, last night I came up with an AMAZING story idea. I couldn't sleep because it seemed so freaking awesome to me :D I'm working on it right now, but it's going to come after this one. It's going to kill me trying to finish this one before that one though. ^.^

Anywho~ let me know what you thought in a review.

Someone keep me posted on the manga updates? Hahaha.

Peace~


	7. Chapter 7

Yosh! 'Nother chapter of this story up. This could be the final chapter of this story. Hmmm, it all depends on how it flows really. I'm on chapter two of the other story...and boy is it good. *rubs hands together* What's that? You guys want a little piece of it? Wellllll toooo bad. You can't have any, unless someone convinces me otherwise. *laughs evilly*

Anywho~

Let the show begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Another Beginning<strong>

**Part 7**

* * *

><p>Setsuna arrived at Konoka's dorm Monday morning, as promised two days ago. She was mostly expecting some kind of physical touching, so when the chocolate haired girl glomped her, she wasn't the least bit unprepared.<p>

However, she wasn't prepared for Asuna.

Asuna, being the friend she was, skeptically swaggered up to the shorter girl. Ignoring the warning look Konoka was giving her, the red haired girl stared down at Setsuna, enjoying the height advantage she had over the swordswoman.

Slightly confused, Setsuna stared blankly up at Asuna, quirking her eyebrow when she figured out what the taller girl was attempting to do.

Coughing to get Asuna's attention, Setsuna purposefully placed her hand on Yunagi's hilt, signaling that if needed, she was ready to step to her challenge.

Nodding her head in approval, Asuna wrapped her arm around the stoic girl's neck, and lugged her inside the room.

"I like her, Konoka!" Asuna exclaimed, squeezing the startled warrior harder, as Konoka stared at the two with a fond smile.

"A-Asuna-san! Let me go! Please!" Setsuna coughed, futilely trying to get out of the death grip she was in.

"I'm not letting you go until you drop the honorific off my name and make me let you go!" Asuna laughed, rolling onto the floor, as the shorter girl continued to struggle against her.

Growling, Setsuna wriggled to get her hands free, grabbing and twisting her opponents shirt in her fists, as she barrel rolled their bodies.

"Oh, come on, Setsuna! Is this all you got?" Asuna jeered, flipping Setsuna onto her back with the bend of her knee.

"Asuna! Let me go!" Setsuna warned, kicking the red haired girl's legs out from underneath her, as she flipped their positions, and sat on Asuna as the victor of their battle.

Konoka laughed to herself, watching Asuna beg for mercy, as Setsuna started to bend her arm in what seemed to be a painful way.

_You would think they were best friends if you didn't know any better,_ Konoka thought, happily watching someone who could possibly end up being her girlfriend, and her best friend help each other up off the floor.

"You're not half bad, Setsu." Asuna said, patting Setsuna on the back. "But, not as good as me."

Snorting, Setsuna punched the taller girl playfully in the arm, "Don't lie like that. Hey, do you want to train with me in the morning? You seem like you can keep up with my kendo skills."

"Yeah, I'm up for that! Oh, Konoka, sorry for leaving you out of everything like that." Asuna mumbled, sheepishly nodding in the brunette's general direction.

"No, it's alright. I'm just watching you two act like you've known each other for years." Konoka replied, twirling a silk lock of hair around her fingers.

"We should get going now. It's getting around that time. Oh, I heard Negi had something planned for spring break!" Asuna stretched, grabbing her bag off the couch, as Setsuna opened the door for Konoka.

Smiling at the hidden exchange of affection between her best friend and soon-to-be kendo instructor, Asuna dashed out of the door, challenging Setsuna to a race to the classroom, as Konoka giggled at the pair's competitive attitudes.

* * *

><p>Months passed. The Kyoto trip over spring break ended just as quickly as it came. Over the course of the trip, some magical group had attempted to kidnap Konoka and use her magical powers for evil, but thanks to Setsuna being right by her side, the group didn't get their hands on Konoka.<p>

However, that didn't stop the girl from questioning why those people had pursued her so intently, and eventually, the truth about her bloodline came out (along with the truth about Negi). Now, their days were spent honing their skills as partners and Magister Magi, preparing for the next threat to the safety of mankind.

Eventually, Setsuna's identity as the leader of the Mahora Guards became widespread, and Konoka's dad had seemed extremely impressed. He even offered her a place back home after she graduated from the school. Specifically, he was offering her his position as chief of the Shinmeiryu in Kyoto.

Setsuna and Asuna were daily wrestling buddies, and Konoka enjoyed being the audience of one in the mornings.

One thing that grew to bother the healer (also known as Konoka), was her relationship with Setsuna. Even after everything they had been through: sharing the pictures of their shared pasts, Setsuna finally telling Konoka about her past, and showing her wings, the swordswoman had yet to summon the courage to ask the girl out (even though everyone in class 3-A was aware and waiting for it).

To be honest, Konoka was growing a little impatient, as she was positive the stirrings in her heart weren't just physical attraction, but love as well.

Maybe, things will make a change for the better, perhaps for the worst (or maybe Asuna would knock some sense into the pint sized warrior)

We shall see.

* * *

><p>"Where are we heading, Set-chan?" Konoka giggled, amazed by the childish excitement on Setsuna's face, as she felt a strong pair of arms lift her up.<p>

Carrying her charge bridal style, Setsuna jumped onto a tree branch, charging forward with unparalleled speed. Grinning, Setsuna winked, "Yesterday, Negi-sensei said we should show our partner something special to us. You showed me the picture of us when we were little and the one of us over spring break, but today I'm showing you my special place. I have something special planned for us as well, which is why I couldn't come over yesterday."

Shrieking in delight, the princess clung to Setsuna's neck, as she noticed Setsuna slowing down considerably.

"What's going on?" Konoka asked, staring up at her guardian curiously, as the shorter girl set her down on a dirt trail.

Laughing mischievously, Setsuna backed away slowly, putting a finger to her lips, as she signaled for Konoka to stay put and be quiet.

Suspicious, but trusting Setsuna nonetheless, the healer remained rooted to the spot, feeling cold without her guardian nearby.

_If I would've known she was taking me out later today, I could have dressed up a little better than this plain ol' uniform, _Konoka thought glumly, noting that Setsuna had even dressed up a little in a pair of black and red Converse, dark jeans and a white, long sleeve v-neck.

_She looks great, even though that's beyond simple. That shirt really hugs her curves- curves I never knew she had, but all together, it really compliments her figure. And, those jeans make her butt stick out a little, _her mind whispered mischievously, causing Konoka to grin when Setsuna appeared again.

"Did I miss something?" the dark haired girl smiled, grabbing the brunette's hand, and walking down the dark path she had disappeared and reappeared from seconds ago.

Deciding it wasn't the best timing to spring such a perverted thought of the girl next to her, Konoka shook her head, gently squeezing Setsuna's hand in her's.

Shivering as light seemed to disappear completely, Konoka leaned closer into Setsuna's side, feeling very vulnerable at the moment.

_This darkness must be getting to her_, Setsuna mentally noted, reassuringly rubbing small circles onto the palm inclosed in her's.

_Don't worry, we'll get through this soon._

_I promise._

Taking a deep breath to still her pounding heart, Setsuna stopped walking, pulling Konoka to her side.

"We're here."

"Set-chan, what are you talk-"

"Shhh." Setsuna murmured softly, placing a finger on quivering lips.

Confused, and starting to grow a little impatient, Konoka glanced around, not surprised to find out that she couldn't see a thing.

But then-

A collection of green and yellow lights flickered on, pulsing in a simple rhythm, as the world seemed to illuminate around them.

Smiling when the girl beside her gasped softly, Setsuna glided forward and left Konoka standing there, as the fireflies began shining like little stars, and the scene finally made it's self clear to Konoka.

"So...this is _your _spot?" Konoka whispered in awe, taking in the wild flowers blooming around her, the rose bush, and finally the butterflies flapping their wings gently.

Blushing a little, Setsuna extended her finger, and to Konoka's amazement, a red spotted purple butterfly landed on Setsuna's hand. Hesitantly, Setsuna danced on her toes to Konoka, placing the butterfly in her friend's shaking hands.

"It's _ours_.And, don't be nervous, alright? It's just me." Setsuna chuckled, missing the odd look her princess shot at her while her back was turned.

_Right, Setsuna. It's just you, the girl I like, _Konoka mumbled mentally, curiously watching the butterfly crawl across her palm.

Meanwhile, Setsuna was carefully planning her next move, sending calculative glances at the heiress, who was gleefully playing with Heart.

"Kono-chan," Setsuna began, quickly grabbing Konoka's attention, "Let Heart-chan go and come with me. This isn't the only part I'm going to show you."

"Aww, alright." the brunette pouted, giggling a little that Setsuna had went and named a _butterfly _of all things, watching as her little friend flew off to some unknown location.

"Come." the warrior ordered, which was unlike her, not that Konoka minded, as she flew to Setsuna's side, snuggling back into her side.

Humming softly, Setsuna led Konoka down the dirt path across from them, feeling Konoka cling even closer to her.

_This path is a little steep. That's why she's so close to me_, Setsuna convinced herself, keeping herself far from her usual nervous mess.

Sliding on some dirt before hopping down, Setsuna grabbed Konoka by her waist, bringing the girl down to her level safely.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Setsuna asked, jarring Konoka out of her thoughts, as she glanced up at her guardian's solemn expression.

Blushing a little, Konoka gazed into Setsuna's eyes, becoming lost in their depth.

"Yeah.." Konoka whispered, watching the moon and stars twinkle merrily in pools of Onyx.

Realizing what the taller girl was talking about, Setsuna blushed a dull pink, murmuring, "I-I-I was talking about the..lake."

_She still isn't paying attention to the lake. I wonder why... I can tell she's nervous too. Does she sense something dangerous nearby? No, I would have sensed it before her, _Setsuna thought, looping their hands together, as she led Konoka to a small rowboat she had managed to borrow for tonight.

Pleasantly surprised, Konoka allowed herself to be gently laid on one of the seats, beaming when Setsuna carefully took her own across from her.

Smiling sheepishly, Setsuna found the set of oars hidden in the bottom of the boat, and placed them in the rings on the edge; locking them there so they wouldn't fall into the water.

"I-I noticed some waterways back here a while ago." Setsuna began, pushing them away from the bank with a strong push with her hand, as she intently avoided the eyes of her beloved.

"I thought you would like to do something like this. I would've brought you here sooner, but with exams and everything being so close, I knew you would be busy.." she finished, rowing with strong and slow strokes, as she directed the small vessel for the waterfall.

Ahhhh, but divine intervention these days, always messing with our dear couple's lives.

Setsuna briefly glanced up, slightly confused when she saw Heart fluttering above, but right now she had more important things to deal with.

Like the fact the boat was being pushed by some invisible force towards a powerful current of black water she had never noticed before.

Giving the girl across from her an urgent look, Setsuna braced herself, taking a firm hold on the oars; as the boat became caught in the current, and the boat tipped, seeming to pause before diving down and going with the current.

The boat swerved and spun erratically, and Setsuna found that as much she tried to steer, she was just wasting her time. So, she grabbed onto her companion's hand, yelling, "I'm sorry, I didn't- AH! That's _cold_!"

Shivering, Setsuna damned whatever had compelled her to wear a white shirt, of all the colors!

_And it's cold out. This is NOT going to be good- EEEK! Why the hell am I the only one getting wet here! _

Twitching, Setsuna forced herself to relax, admiring how Konoka was screaming in delight, as the boat rocked and swayed.

Chuckling as another splash of water slapped her backside, Setsuna allowed herself a few minutes of watching her dear friend.

_She looks so happy right now. Ah, I remember she told me she loved roller coasters a long time ago._

_It was so simple back then. Without these...feelings._

_Maybe I should tell her...but what if that jeopardizes our friendship?_

_Right, I shouldn't try for anything more. I have more than enough to be grateful for._

"Oh, _Setsuna_! This is so pretty! Are you sure you didn't plan this?" Konoka giggled, taking in her guardian's soaked form.

"Hmm?"'ing in response, Setsuna craned her neck, trying to gain any perception of her surrounding.

They were floating in a blue lagoon, trees growing out of the water in numerous places, shading the two girls from the radiant like of the moon shining above.

Fireflies flickered about, adding a more..._romantic _mood to the moment, and it only intensified when Setsuna looked over, catching the long stare Konoka was giving there.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Setsuna asked nervously, swiping a hand over her face for good measure, as the younger girl shook her head.

"No." Konoka answered simply, cradling her face in her hands, as she struggled to keep the feelings surging in her chest from leaping out.

In an instant, Setsuna's heart leapt to her throat, as she sprung up defensively when the chocolate haired princess stood, making the boat sway dangerously.

Gently gripping her shoulders to still her, Setsuna whispered, "Be careful. You could get..."

The older girl didn't bother to finish her sentence, taken back by the warmth and emotion burn in her Kono-chan's eyes. Her breath hitched oddly in her throat, as the moon's glow radiated off of Konoka's pale skin, as the healer stared at her even stranger.

_I-I-I can't do this anymore, I think I need to... get it out now, _Setsuna thought, hoping the taller girl couldn't hear her heart beat hammering inside her ribcage.

Closing her eyes, Setsuna suddenly became aware of how close they already were, and by instinct only, did her hands slide down to Konoka's hips.

Unconsciously, she leaned forward, praying to God all those advice columns she had looked into had given her enough instruction and advice to kiss this girl properly.

Smiling in realization as to what the heck was going on, Konoka allowed her eyes to flutter shut, as she looped her arms around the shorter girl's neck, bringing their lips closer. Inch. by. Inch.

_Oh Setsuna. If only I had known standing up to stretch would make you do this. I would have done it so much sooner._

And finally, their lips met, sending sparks to their stomachs, as Konoka felt her knees buckle.

Queasily, Setsuna flicked her tongue across the taller girl's lower lip, trembling when she felt the girl grant her access.

Sensing her nervousness, Konoka reassuringly stroked Setsuna's neck, letting her know it was okay, and all she needed to do was to relax. Konoka pressed herself flush against Setsuna, sighing in a mixture of relief and pleasure, as the shorter girl tediously stroked her tongue.

Setsuna jumped a little when she felt Konoka tug on her lower lip, dragging her teeth on the swollen flesh, causing the warrior to let out a shaky groan. Slowly tangling her fingers in gossamer strands of black, Konoka noted how _natural _it felt, so calm and fueled by love and not lust. It felt good.

Blinking when Setsuna pulled back, who light headily stated something about lack of oxygen, as she struggled to catch her breath as well.

Fidgeting, Setsuna stared at their interlocked hands, mumbling something too soft for Konoka to catch.

Sighing, as she saw Konoka's quirked eyebrow, Setsuna restated her question.

"Are we a couple?"

Blushing a color that could rival Setsuna's trademark blush, Konoka nervously tapped her toes on the bow of the boat.

Anxiously looking into her guardian's brown eyes, Konoka replied- "I-I think. I mean, it's all up to-"

_**Crick**_

_**SPLASH**_

Gasping for air, Setsuna fought her way to the surface, laughing ecstatically along with Konoka once the girl found her way to the surface as well.

"I had nothing to lose." Setsuna chuckled, pointing out the fact that she was already soaked before they fell in.

Giggling, Konoka snuggled into her protector, as the warrior managed to get them onto dry land.

"Kono-chan." Setsuna whispered, looking extremely thoughtful at that moment, as she wrung her jacket out.

"Yes?"

"I'm happy that even after everything that happened when I left you, you still gave me another chance. You were my first friend, the first person to treat me like a person. I can't thank you enough for that, but I'm going to try by making you the happiest girl alive. But...I'm nervous I'll disappoint you or-"

"Shhh." Konoka replied gently, silencing the worried girl with a kiss, "You won't disappoint me, and I know we're going to be together forever, and you'll be my permanent partner. I believe in you. Now take me back to my room so I can get dry, if you know what I mean." Konoka finished, tracing her girlfriend's jawline, as she winked.

Suddenly, Setsuna swept her into her arms, her face unusually pale for just hearing a suggestive comment.

"As you wish, princess." Setsuna smirked, heart swelling in happiness, as Konoka shyly gazed up at her.

"Set-chan..?"

"Yes, Kono-chan?"

"I love you."

Sighing, Setsuna sadly gazed down at the girl in her arms, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I think I love you more. Oh love, did you use a love potion on me? For I have never loved like this."

Rolling her eyes, Konoka giggled, gleefully swinging her legs, "Alright, Shakespeare. Shut up and kiss me."

"Anything for you."

_Thank you for the second chance, Konoka. You won't regret it._

* * *

><p>Alright. So, I more than likely am going to go back and add the Kyoto trip after testing is over. I wanted to get it officially done so I don't forget about it and end up never finishing it like some people do. I hope you liked it so far, because it was fun for me to write.<p>

Don't worry, you shall get Kyoto arc...OR I SHALL NOT PASS...the Istep test. :3

Haha. Did you like my Lord of the Rings moment? Oh yesssss.

Anyways, I've got the name of the new story already. Who wants to know what it is? :D Man, I hope I'm killing you guys with this!

But remember to review, see you all soon!


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